Armenia - Azerbaijan Agreement and Trump's Mediation

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in a long-lasting crisis for years. The wars in the Nagorno-Karabakh region show us these crises. There have been casualties on both sides, but no matter how much peace is tried to be achieved, it is possible that there are still deficiencies and these conflicts may be repeated. The best example of this would be the declaration signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on August 8, 2025. The first question that comes to our mind here is:      

Why did they only sign a declaration instead of a peace agreement?  
 
The first thing we need to understand here is the differences between the declaration and the treaty. A declaration is usually a political declaration of intent, not legally binding. It includes general principles, expressions of goodwill, future goals. It does not require approval, it is simply announced or signed.   
 
The treaty is binding in terms of international law. It includes final decisions, obligations and sanctions. It must be approved by the parliaments of the party countries. After understanding these explanations, we can observe the event in a better way. 
 
According to Aliyev in the declaration, the presence of territorial claims against Azerbaijan in the Armenian Constitution does not make it possible to complete the peace process in Washington for the time being; However, it was stated that the agreement could be signed quickly after the constitutional amendment. 
 

Speaking after the meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump stated that the signed declaration "puts a final end to the war between the two countries".  
 
Trump said, "The two countries will respect each other's sovereignty." And then "I think you're going to have a very good relationship. And if there is a problem, if you call me, I will solve the problems."  
 
Aliyev said, "We want to write a joint letter with Prime Minister Pashinyan and nominate you" and added: "No one had been able to end this conflict, which lasted more than 30 years.  If Trump does not receive this award, who will? "They even gave it to people who did nothing, whereas Trump achieved that peace in six months."  
 

Both countries expressed their gratitude to Trump. 

References: 

BBC Türkçe. (2025, 27 Ekim). Ermenistan ve Azerbaycan arasında Beyaz Saray'da barış anlaşması imzalandı. BBC Türkçe. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/cvg37708x4do 

Atanesyan, G., & Zeynalov, M. (2025, 15 Nisan). Ermenistan ve Azerbaycan barış anlaşmasını neden hâlâ imzalayamadı? BBC Türkçe. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/czx4y2xen25o