Azerbaijan, Armenia Advance Historic Peace Agreement

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met in Washington at the initiative and with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“The parties noted the progress Azerbaijan and Armenia have achieved towards the conclusion of an historic agreement on peace and establishment of interstate relations, and agreed to continue the work,” stated the Azerbaijani foreign ministry’s official website on July 10.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary Summit, represented a new step towards finalizing a historic peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. During the talks, the foreign ministers of both South Caucasus countries expressed gratitude to Secretary Blinken for hosting the meeting.

US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller issued a statement on the outcomes of the trilateral meeting, noting that “Secretary Blinken discussed the progress made toward a durable and dignified peace agreement and encouraged further steps to finalize a deal as soon as possible. The Secretary also emphasized the importance of peace in promoting regional connectivity, which would benefit the entire South Caucasus region.”

Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), highlighted during a press briefing in Yerevan on July 10 that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, coupled with the unblocking of regional communications, would open vast opportunities for both nations.

The involvement of the US Secretary of State underscores the importance the United States places on facilitating dialogue and fostering cooperation between the two nations. The outcome of this meeting could have significant implications for future diplomatic and economic relations in the region.

Despite successful demarcation of 12.7-kilometer section of the border along four Azerbaijani villages in April, Azerbaijan and Armenia have yet to reach consensus on other major issues such as the reopening of transport communications.

In a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, on June 20, Blinken called for concluding a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan “without delay,” and said that Washington "remains willing to support further engagement in any way useful to the parties.”

On July 1, President Aliyev mentioned that the text of a peace treaty, or at least basic principles, could be finalized within a few months, emphasizing that the signing of peace hinges on Armenia amending its constitution.

Azerbaijan has consistently urged Armenia to remove references in its constitution to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which cites the illegal act of 1989 on the unification of Soviet Armenia and the then Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan.