News - Armenia's Pashinyan: How realistic is signing of peace treaty with Azerbaijan by year’s end?

The pinnacle of our system of values is Armenia, the pinnacle of our system of interests is Armenia's economic development. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in his remarks Thursday during the debates on the 2024 state budget draft in the National Assembly of Armenia. "The peace agenda is aimed at serving these two pinnacles. In this regard, our political will to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan in the coming months remains unshakable; of course, with the record that Armenia cannot sign this treaty alone, and for this, Azerbaijan's signature is also necessary," added the PM. Pashinyan asked how realistic it is to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan before the end of the year, or in the coming months. "The three key principles of peace have, in fact, been agreed upon with Azerbaijan; and this agreement took place during our negotiations at the tripartite meetings held in Brussels on May 14 and July 15. "The first principle is as follows: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity with the understanding that Armenia's territory is 29,800 square kilometers, Azerbaijan's—86,600 square kilometers.  “It is to ensure this that the next important principle of the peace treaty with Azerbaijan was recorded. The Almaty Declaration of 1991 is the political foundation of the border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is also an understanding that the 1974-1990 maps of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union shall be used for delimitation. The following was also agreed upon: Armenia and Azerbaijan have no territorial claims against each other and are committed not to posit such claims in the future. "The next principle is the following: regional communications shall be reopened on the basis of the countries' sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity, equality," added the Armenian premier. He announced that they are ready to start as soon as possible the implementation of the "Crossroads of Peace" project of Armenia, and expect the support of regional countries and the international community in that regard.