Yerevan: Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a peace deal to end their nearly 40-year conflict. Officials confirmed the treaty is ready.
The dispute centered on Nagorno-Karabakh, a region recognized as Azerbaijani territory but long controlled by Armenian separatists.
Armenia accepted Azerbaijan’s conditions on the last two unresolved points in the draft treaty.
One clause restricts third-party military forces from deploying along their shared border.
The second agreement involves both nations withdrawing legal claims against each other in international courts.
Official Statements
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed the agreement while speaking to journalists on Thursday.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry also confirmed the completion of peace treaty negotiations.
However, Azerbaijan insists Armenia must amend its constitution to remove territorial claims before finalizing the deal.
Armenia denies any such claims exist in its constitution, referencing a ruling from its Constitutional Court last year.
Pashinyan suggested Azerbaijan’s own constitution contains territorial claims against Armenia.
Constitutional Debate
The Armenian leader stated the peace treaty already resolves these concerns.
Armenia has not formally addressed Azerbaijan’s demand to change its constitution.
Last month, Pashinyan proposed a referendum to adopt a new constitution but did not specify changes.
The referendum date is yet to be announced, adding uncertainty to the process.
This constitutional debate may delay the final signing of the peace treaty.
Past Conflicts
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh since the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Past ceasefire agreements repeatedly failed, leading to recurring hostilities.
In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a swift military operation to reclaim Nagorno-Karabakh.
This 24-hour offensive led to Azerbaijan regaining full control of the disputed region.
The conflict resulted in the mass exodus of the region’s 120,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia.
Remaining Challenges
Despite the agreement, unresolved tensions could still impact future relations.
Azerbaijan remains firm on Armenia amending its constitution.
Armenia, however, insists its constitution poses no threat to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty.
Both nations have expressed willingness to continue dialogue.
The peace deal marks a major step toward stability in the Caucasus region.
