Washington, August 10 – During the signing ceremony of a Joint Declaration in Washington, attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a small but symbolic moment caught attention. After Pashinyan signed the historic document, Aliyev suggested he take the pen with him.
At first glance, the gesture seemed courteous. But in diplomatic circles, it carried deeper meaning. According to Oxu.Az, Aliyev’s remark echoed a long-standing tradition in international diplomacy — one that turns an ordinary pen into a lasting emblem of peace and responsibility.
A similar precedent dates back to 1978, when Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat, Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the Camp David Accords. The pens used for that landmark agreement were specially prepared for the occasion and later preserved as historical artifacts. They symbolized not only the deal reached but also the preference for negotiation over force.
In diplomatic protocol, offering a pen to a counterpart is a nod to the idea that agreements and written commitments can achieve what weapons cannot. By advising Pashinyan to keep the pen, Aliyev was subtly underscoring that signing the declaration was not merely a ceremonial act, but a binding pledge — one that should serve as a reminder of the responsibility to uphold peace and foster cooperation.
The gesture also conveyed respect and a message of equality between the parties. It was a quiet yet deliberate move, framing the Washington meeting not just as a diplomatic milestone, but as a step toward a more stable and cooperative future. The pen, in this context, becomes more than stationery — it becomes a tangible symbol of a historic moment and the peace process it represents.
