Armenian Government Confirms Aliyev-Pashinyan Meeting in Washington

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on August 7–8, the Armenian government confirmed, Orda.kz reports, citing Armenpress.

According to the announcement, Pashinyan will first hold a bilateral meeting with Trump “to deepen the strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States.” This will be followed by a trilateral meeting with Trump and Aliyev “aimed at promoting peace, prosperity, and economic cooperation in the region.”

Speculation about the talks became notable on August 4, when journalist Alex Raufoglu wrote on Twitter: 

Amid these reports, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense accused Azerbaijani forces of firing on an excavator conducting construction work in the border province of Syunik.

Photos of the damaged machinery were released, while Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry denied the allegation and did not comment on the images.

While both countries have repeatedly declared readiness to sign a peace treaty, no deal has yet been finalized.

Baku has demanded an extraterritorial corridor through Armenia to its Nakhchivan exclave, a proposal Yerevan sees as a threat to sovereignty, insisting the road must remain under Armenian control.

Azerbaijan has also demanded that Yerevan amend its constitution to remove territorial claims on Azerbaijan — a step requiring a national referendum.

In July, the U.S. offered to place the above route under its supervision. Pashinyan confirmed receiving the proposal, stressing that “any issue is discussed based on the principles of Armenia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction.”

Other remarks by Armenian officials were made, highlighting territorial integrity and Armenia's preferred route, "The Crossroads of Peace."

According to The Washington Post, citing anonymous White House officials, the Friday meeting at the White House could see an announcement of a peace agreement. The outlet notes that during his campaign, Trump pledged in an October Truth Social post to “defend persecuted Christians” and accused rival Kamala Harris of “doing nothing when 120,000 Armenian Christians were horribly persecuted and forcibly displaced.”

Trump said he “will work to end violence and ethnic cleansing and restore peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Pashinyan and Aliyev last met on July 10 in Abu Dhabi, agreeing to continue bilateral talks and confidence-building measures. Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said the leaders noted progress on border delimitation and instructed their respective commissions to continue practical work.