Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week for high-level talks aimed at fostering peace and economic cooperation in the South Caucasus, the Armenian government has confirmed.

The trilateral meeting, scheduled for 7-8 August, will focus on "promoting peace, prosperity, and economic cooperation in the region," according to a statement from Yerevan. Mr Pashinyan will also hold a separate bilateral meeting with President Trump during his visit.

According to analysts, the talks could yield a framework for a peace agreement by Friday, though no guarantees were offered. The summit follows a previous round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi last month, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, which ended without a breakthrough.

The South Caucasus has been a flashpoint for decades, with Armenia and Azerbaijan locked in a bitter dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but historically home to a majority ethnic Armenian population.

Tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh trace back to the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, when both nations claimed the territory. The conflict escalated in the late 1980s and has since sparked multiple wars. In 2020, a six-week conflict killed over 6,600 people and saw Azerbaijan reclaim significant territory. In September 2023, Azerbaijan’s military recaptured the entirety of Nagorno-Karabakh, prompting nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of attempting to "erase all traces" of ethnic Armenian heritage in the region, a claim it has taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The UN’s top court has ordered Azerbaijan to allow displaced ethnic Armenians to return safely. Baku denies forcing anyone to leave and insists it is committed to protecting the rights of all residents, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

The Washington talks are part of ongoing international efforts to stabilise the South Caucasus and address the humanitarian fallout from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The region’s strategic importance, coupled with the displacement of thousands and allegations of human rights violations, has drawn global attention.

Analysts say the involvement of President Trump, known for his deal-making approach, could inject momentum into the peace process, though deep-seated mistrust between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a significant hurdle. (ILKHA)