Armenian PM Pashinyan says peace with Azerbaijan ‘within reach’

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed optimism about achieving peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stating that an agreement is “within reach.” Speaking at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Pashinyan highlighted recent progress in negotiations and suggested that a peace deal could soon be finalized.

“The key messages of my previous speeches were about the deadlock in achieving peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But today, I want to say that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan not only is possible, but is within reach,” Pashinyan said in his address.

This statement marks a shift in the tone of diplomatic efforts between the two nations, which have been in conflict for decades over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In a significant development, Pashinyan noted that the two countries had signed their first-ever bilateral document on August 30, regulating the work of their border delimitation commissions.

According to Pashinyan, 80% of the draft peace agreement has already been agreed upon by both Armenia and Azerbaijan. He proposed moving forward by signing the deal based on the provisions already settled while continuing negotiations on unresolved issues later.

“We are ready to do this right now,” Pashinyan said, acknowledging that important matters still need to be addressed. Among the agreed-upon provisions are commitments to refrain from territorial claims and the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Once the peace deal is signed, it will be submitted to Armenia’s Constitutional Court to ensure its compliance with the country’s Constitution. Pashinyan noted the possibility of constitutional amendments if the court finds any contradictions, though he expressed confidence that this scenario is unlikely.

In a gesture toward regional cooperation, Pashinyan reiterated Armenia’s readiness to allow transportation access through its territory to both Azerbaijan and Türkiye, as well as other neighbors. “Yerevan guarantees the passage of cargo, vehicles, and people through its territory,” he said.

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been fraught with tension since 1991, when Armenian forces occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan regained most of this territory during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, paving the way for normalization and border demarcation efforts.