Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached consensus on the fundamental principles of a peace agreement. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made this announcement during the inauguration of the autumn session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan, TuraNews.kz reports citing TASS agency.
Pashinyan conveyed both positive and challenging aspects of the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process, stating, “We have good and bad news about the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process. It is good that the basic principles of peace have been agreed upon with Azerbaijan. This happened through the mediation of the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, as a result of my meetings with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in Brussels.”
The Armenian Prime Minister outlined the agreed-upon principles, noting that the first involves mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity. Under this understanding, the territory of Armenia is acknowledged as 29.8 thousand sq. km, while Azerbaijan’s territory is recognized as 86.6 thousand sq. km. The second principle, Pashinyan explained, establishes the political basis for border demarcation, referencing the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991. According to this principle, both countries have agreed to utilize maps from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the former USSR from the years 1974 to 1990 for border demarcation.
Pashinyan also highlighted the third principle, which focuses on reopening regional communications. This reopening is contingent on adhering to principles such as sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity, and equality among the nations involved.
However, Pashinyan acknowledged challenges, stating, “The most important bad news is that we still speak different diplomatic languages and very often do not understand each other. There are objective reasons for this: a long-term conflict, thousands of victims, dozens of prisoners, an atmosphere of hatred that has reigned for decades, and suspicions that bad intentions are hidden behind constructive statements. Moreover, what I say applies to both Armenia and Azerbaijan to a greater or lesser extent.” The Prime Minister emphasized the need for continued efforts to bridge the diplomatic gap and foster mutual understanding between the two nations.
