If the information about the upcoming meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Washington by the end of the week is confirmed, it can be assumed that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to present specific proposals to the parties. This was stated by political commentator Boris Navasardyan.
However, in his view, these proposals will be clearly formulated only for the American side, while details important to Yerevan and Baku may remain behind the scenes. According to Navasardyan, Trump aims to use such a meeting primarily to present himself as a mediator or, at the very least, a key participant in the negotiation process. Nevertheless, the significance of this meeting should not be underestimated.
Navasardyan noted that regional processes are clearly accelerating. For instance, a meeting in Abu Dhabi, initially planned for late July, took place in the first week of the month. According to him, Washington is often the initiator of this acceleration. “I don’t think such haste is beneficial for Yerevan and Baku, but when the U.S. is the initiator, rejecting the proposal is extremely difficult,” he emphasized.
In his opinion, the reactions of the parties to certain proposals, including those voiced by the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, have been thoroughly studied in Washington, and adjustments have likely been made. “However, I wouldn’t venture to predict how Donald Trump will ultimately label this deal after all the changes. I can only say that it will be a serious test for Armenian diplomacy. Trump is known for his creative approach to formulations. We remember his high-profile meetings, including with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Therefore, if Armenia responds with something resembling a refusal, it is unlikely to benefit the process,” Navasardyan noted.
He also believes that Azerbaijan feels confident in this situation. Baku is convinced that the proposals will concern Armenian territory, meaning the primary response is expected from Yerevan. “Azerbaijan needs functioning communication lines, and the status of U.S. involvement is of less concern to Baku. After all, it’s not about Azerbaijan’s territory. At the very least, Washington has not publicly mentioned communications passing through Azerbaijan’s territory,” he explained.
According to Navasardyan, claims that Armenia has already rejected U.S. proposals regarding long-term leases (likely of transport corridors) are inaccurate, as no detailed proposals have been officially announced. “The Armenian side has only stated that it will not accept proposals that limit sovereignty or affect territorial integrity. If certain formats are indeed unacceptable, and this position has been clearly conveyed to the Trump administration, there is hope that the relevant formulations will be revised,” he concluded.
It should be noted that today, several Azerbaijani sources reported an upcoming Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Washington, stating that a peace agreement would be signed during the meeting. Meanwhile, Armenia has neither confirmed nor denied the information about the upcoming meeting. “In the case of such visits, official statements are naturally issued, and the information can be considered confirmed only after an official statement. At this moment, we have not published any official statement. Therefore, we ask that the information about the visit be considered confirmed only after an official statement,” the Armenian government stated.