US President Donald Trump announced that he will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday for what he called a "historic peace summit" aimed at ending a decades-long conflict between the two former Soviet republics.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "will join me at the White House for an official peace signing ceremony," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

Baku and Yerevan, sworn enemies for decades, have fought twice over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning offensive in 2023, causing the displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. The two sides have held talks aimed at securing a peaceful solution, including last month in the United Arab Emirates.

"These two countries have been at war for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people," Trump wrote. "Many leaders have tried to end the war, but without success, until now. My administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time," he added.

The US leader, who expressed his conviction that his mediation efforts in various international conflicts deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, added that Washington will sign bilateral agreements "with both sides to jointly explore economic opportunities" that could unlock the potential of the South Caucasus. | BGNES, AFP