Azerbaijan and Armenia may sign a peace treaty by the end of the year
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Tuesday that Azerbaijan and Armenia may sign a peace treaty by the end of the year. This announcement came as the top diplomats of the two neighboring countries met to discuss the Karabakh settlement.
Normalization between Azerbaijan and Karabakh region as a condition for signing the treaty
Pashinian stated that the normalization between Azerbaijan and the Karabakh region is a condition for signing the treaty with Baku. He emphasized that if the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue begins, it would provide an opportunity to sign a peace treaty before the end of the year.
Low probability of a clause related to Karabakh in the treaty
Pashinian expressed his belief that the probability of a clause in the treaty related to Karabakh, which would suit all parties, is very low. He mentioned that if there was a higher probability, peace would have already been made. Currently, work on the treaty is underway, but a draft agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not ready to be signed.
Armenia cannot decide the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh
Pashinian stressed that Armenia cannot decide the fate of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh on its own. Negotiations with Baku are necessary to discuss security guarantees for the region. He also mentioned that the Russian peacekeepers will only be withdrawn when there is no threat to the lives of the people in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia’s position on the Karabakh problem
Pashinian called Russia’s position on the Karabakh problem “honest” and acknowledged that although Armenia has been an independent state for 30 years, it still seeks assistance from Russia when facing challenges.
Expectations from the talks between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia
Pashinian expressed his hope that the talks between the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia in Moscow will lead to agreement on several more points of the peace treaty and solutions for the opening of the Lachin corridor.
Armenia’s efforts to ensure security
Pashinian highlighted that Armenia is actively working to expand the list of countries from which it buys weapons to ensure security. He mentioned the defense minister’s visits to France and expressed hope that they will yield concrete results.
Meeting of the foreign ministers in Moscow
The foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia met in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss further steps regarding the Karabakh settlement. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of respecting and implementing all trilateral agreements among the three countries. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov acknowledged that although the negotiation process with Armenia is intensive, there have been more talks than results in the settlement. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan mentioned that there have been concrete results on some issues, while prospects and differences remain on others.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Karabakh
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent regions. In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of fighting. The war ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement. Despite ongoing talks on a peace agreement, tensions between the two neighboring countries have increased in recent months, particularly concerning the Lachin corridor, which is the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.
