In one troubled region of Eurasia, the cause of peace and progress received a boost Friday. An agreement signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House will set these longtime enemies on a path of cooperation.
Under the agreement, Armenia is giving up a narrow sliver of land to create the Zangezur corridor, allowing Azerbaijan a transit link to its territory of Nakhichevan and, beyond that, to Turkey. In an unexpected twist, the United States will develop this corridor under a 99-year lease, which can help avoid the appearance of Armenia ceding territory to Azerbaijan.
Yet a deeper significance than trade lies in the pact. Both of these former Soviet republics, sandwiched between Russia, Iran, and Turkey, have found common strength in trying to avoid the kind of big-power politics that have shaped their past. To be sure, Armenia and Azerbaijan still need to reconcile after more than 30 years of conflict over territory and other differences. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has been ruled by an authoritarian family dynasty; resource-poor Armenia transitioned to full democracy in 2018.
In the lead-up to this deal, Armenian critics accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of capitulation. In 2023, Azerbaijan wrested control of an Armenian-settled enclave inside Azerbaijan. Swallowing pride and blame, Armenia pursued peace talks with its neighbor. Many Armenians now recognize that it will take courage to shed national narratives of conflict and historical victimization for a fresh start.
According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, this process allows Armenians “to reframe how they see themselves, their history and their place in the world.” A poll in June found that 47% of Armenians supported a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, with 33% “strongly” opposed and 10% saying “it depends” on the final terms.
Mr. Pashinyan has noted that Armenia would also benefit from links with both Turkey and Europe. But to do so, he has indicated, requires breaking with the past. In May, he said, the “historical” Armenia “tells us: do not follow my path, but focus on the issue of building freedom, happiness, and prosperity.”
Like Mr. Pashinyan, Armenia’s youth have long wanted a fresh start. “If we speak about the Armenian victims all the time, our hands are tied,” a university student told researchers in 2021. “It is time now to talk about victories, brighter chapters in our history.”
