Azerbaijan and Armenia’s potential accession to Abraham Accords depends on peace deal success, says Armenian expert

Published: 2025-05-21 07:16

“Since Trump’s election, Azerbaijan has been making efforts to join the Abraham Accords. By leveraging its close relationship with Israel, Baku is attempting to open a direct channel to the Trump administration,” said Tigran Grigoryan, Chairman of the Regional Center for Democracy and Security, during an interview with the Armenian media outlet CivilNet.

He noted that after visiting Moscow, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff made a three-hour visit to Baku — a trip Grigoryan believes was linked to discussions surrounding the Accords and regional diplomacy.

Grigoryan stressed that any potential accession by Azerbaijan — and notably, Armenia — to the Abraham Accords is conditional on the success of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. “If that process succeeds, both countries may join,” he said.

Grigoryan also described what he sees as Azerbaijan’s efforts to monetize the peace process: "Azerbaijan may also be approaching this from a different angle, as it has recently been trying to 'market' the peace agreement (the Abraham Accords) by implying: look, Armenia needs this more than we do, so you should pay us to sign the deal."

“If we’re looking for potential bright spots, this initiative could evolve into a format that prompts greater U.S. engagement in the peace process,” he added.

By Azerbaijani-Israeli Alliance Global News