US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump secured peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan one year ago by hosting the two countries’ leaders at the White House and witnessing the signing of a historic Joint Declaration.

Axar.az reports, citing the US State Department, that in a statement marking the anniversary of the Washington summit, Rubio said the declaration “ended decades of conflict in the South Caucasus” and launched the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

“Over the past twelve months, the United States has worked side-by-side with Armenia and Azerbaijan to turn that promise into progress,” Rubio said.

He noted that engineering surveys for the railway component of TRIPP were already underway in Armenia, while Azerbaijan was nearing completion of a highway and railroad connecting to Armenia.

Rubio also announced that the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund was operational, with a newly elected board of directors and $201 million in US government funding to support private-sector investment along the Trans-Caspian Trade Route, also known as the Middle Corridor.

“This progress reflects a simple truth: peace and prosperity reinforce one another,” Rubio said. “TRIPP is more than an infrastructure project — it is a vital link in the Trans-Caspian Trade Route, a driver of commercial opportunities for the United States and others, and a model for how economic cooperation can cement peace following the resolution of long-standing disputes.”

He said the United States remained fully committed to working with Armenia and Azerbaijan toward “a durable, lasting peace in the South Caucasus.”