PM Shehbaz hails Azerbaijan- Armenia peace deal

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan welcomed the historic peace deal signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit, hosted by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

“This landmark agreement heralds a new era of peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus — a region that has suffered decades of conflict and human tragedy.

We congratulate President Ilham Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on this historic accord, which reflects wisdom and foresight in paving the way for a peaceful future in their region,” the prime minister wrote on his X account.

He reaffirmed that Pakistan has always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and shares in their pride at this moment in history.

“We also acknowledge the United States’ facilitation under President Donald Trump in bringing both sides together and securing an agreement that opens new opportunities for trade, connectivity, and regional integration.

It is our hope that this commitment to dialogue will inspire other regions facing prolonged conflicts,” he added.

On Friday, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed the U.S.-brokered peace accord during a meeting with President Trump, aiming to enhance bilateral economic relations after decades of hostilities and move toward full normalization of ties.

The deal between the South Caucasus rivals assuming it holds would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration that is sure to rattle Moscow, which sees the region as within its sphere of influence.

“It’s a long time – 35 years – they fought and now they’re friends, and they’re going to be friends for a long time,” Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House, where he was flanked by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia.

Azerbaijan took back full control of the region in 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

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