Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders set to sign joint declaration in Washington

A Joint Declaration is expected to be signed in Washington between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, Trend reported on August 7.

Azerbaijan had put forward two key conditions for signing a peace agreement with Armenia:

• A joint appeal to the OSCE regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group;

• Amendments to the Armenian Constitution to eliminate territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

The Joint Declaration to be signed confirms that Azerbaijan and Armenia will submit a joint appeal to the OSCE Secretary General regarding the dissolution of the Minsk Group. It also acknowledges the need for further steps towards the signing and ratification of an Agreement on the Establishment of Interstate Relations and the Conclusion of Peace between the two countries following the initialling of its text. In other words, the declaration confirms the necessity of amending Armenia’s Constitution as one of the key prerequisites for a final peace agreement.

Following the Patriotic War, President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stated that an unobstructed land corridor must be ensured between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. This demand by the head of state has been accepted by the Armenian side. Accordingly, the Joint Declaration will confirm the guarantee of unhindered movement between the main territory of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, thereby implementing the Zangezur Corridor project.