Decades-long conflict nears end as Armenia, Azerbaijan finalise peace deal draft

Yerevan/Baku: In a significant breakthrough, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the text of a peace agreement, marking a potential end to nearly four decades of conflict. Both countries’ foreign ministries confirmed on Thursday that negotiations on the draft treaty had been concluded.

The two post-Soviet countries have fought a series of wars since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan that had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. The two countries’ 1,000 km shared border is closed and heavily militarised.

“The peace agreement is ready for signing. The Republic of Armenia is ready to start consultations with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the date and place of signing,” Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced. Azerbaijan echoed this, calling it an agreement on “the establishment of interstate relations.”

However, obstacles remain. Azerbaijan insists that Armenia must amend its constitution, which Baku claims implicitly lays claim to Azerbaijani territory. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has acknowledged the need for constitutional changes but has yet to set a date for a referendum.

While both sides have expressed a desire for lasting peace, relations remain strained. Their shared border remains heavily militarised, and past rhetoric has fuelled tensions. Whether this diplomatic progress translates into a signed treaty remains uncertain.