Azerbaijan, Armenia commit to accelerating peace agreement efforts Ministry says

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan agreed to intensify their efforts toward the conclusion of a comprehensive Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations between the two countries.

The meeting between the two top diplomats, initiated and hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. During the discussions, both Azerbaijan and Armenia reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the process of finalizing a peace agreement, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

“The parties agreed to put additional efforts towards the conclusion of the Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations in the shortest possible period,” the ministry said in a statement.

Blinken, who played a key role in facilitating the talks, expressed optimism about the progress being made.

“Secretary Blinken commended both ministers on the progress Armenia and Azerbaijan have made toward a durable and dignified peace and encouraged continued progress by both countries to finalize an agreement as soon as possible. The Secretary underscored that a peace agreement would bring increased stability and prosperity to the region," Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State said in a statement.

The ministers also expressed their gratitude to Blinken for his efforts in organizing the meeting.

While the details of the proposed agreement have not been disclosed, sources indicate that both Azerbaijan and Armenia are focusing on key issues such as border demarcation, security guarantees, and humanitarian concerns.

By Vugar Khalilov