President Donald Trump will meet the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to sign a joint peace declaration aimed at ending decades of war at a White House meeting Friday, as well as pacts giving the US rights to develop a transit route through the South Caucasus.

Residents and politicians in Armenia and Azerbaijan are responding with cautious hope after their leaders signed a U.S.-brokered agreement aimed at ending decades of hostilities

Turkey views the prospective agreement as part of its efforts to expand its influence in the South Caucasus, while Armenia sees the reopening of the border and resuming trade with