Biden urges Armenian PM to finalise peace deal with Azerbaijan by year-end

US President Joe Biden has written a letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, urging him to finalise a peace agreement with Azerbaijan by the end of 2024.

According to a statement from the Armenian government’s press service, Biden acknowledged the challenges ahead in his letter, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

“As you know, finalizing the remaining articles of the peace agreement will require persistence, ingenuity, and compromise.However, by prioritising patriotism over politics, you have courageously and consistently chosen the path of peace, and I encourage you to finalise the agreement this year,” US president wrote.

Biden also assured Pashinyan that the United States stands ready to support a lasting and dignified peace deal that would finally bring an end to the centuries-old conflict.

“A peace agreement that guarantees Armenia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity will ensure security and stability not only for the Armenian people. It will transform the entire South Caucasus region,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, US President has also written to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, stressing the importance of finalising a peace agreement with Armenia.

In his letter, President Biden reaffirmed Washington’s strong support, stating that a peace deal would not only secure Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also help transform the region by boosting trade, investment, and connectivity between Europe and Central Asia.

“With the world's attention focused on Baku for COP29, you have a unique opportunity to showcase your commitment to peace on a global stage. As you are aware, finalising the remaining sections of the peace agreement will require creativity and compromise from all parties. However, I am confident you will rise to this challenge, and I encourage you to finalise an agreement this year,” Biden wrote, referring to the latest version of the treaty.

The current draft of the peace treaty consists of 17 articles, with 13, including the preamble, already agreed.

Notably, in September 2024, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan proposed signing and ratifying the peace treaty based on the agreed-upon articles while continuing negotiations on the remaining unresolved issues.

However, Azerbaijan views Armenia’s proposal to sign the peace agreement in its current incomplete state as both unrealistic and unacceptable, according to Elchin Amirbayov, Special Representative of Azerbaijan's President.

He emphasized that the most significant obstacle to the peace deal is territorial claim in Armenia’s Constitution on the Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Amirbayov believes that the peace agreement will not be possible without constitutional amendments in Armenia as territorial claim in its current constitution can encourage a new government in the future to annul the document by citing constitutional contradictions, as Armenia’s constitution supersedes any external agreement.

By Aghakazim Guliyev