Lavrov confirms Russia’s commitment to promoting peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan

Russia is prepared to play a key role in facilitating the process of reaching a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

As announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov made these remarks during talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"From the Russian side, the readiness to promote the process of Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization and reaching the conclusion of a peace treaty was confirmed. The necessity of the realization of the whole complex of trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020-2022 was emphasized," the ministry said.

These comments come as the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan appears to be on the brink of resolution, drawing widespread international recognition and praise. Recently, both nations completed negotiations on a draft peace agreement, which has been hailed as a historic breakthrough. Many hope that this agreement will bring about a new era of stability in the South Caucasus.

On March 13, the Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Yerevan had accepted Azerbaijan's proposals on the two unresolved articles of the agreement, effectively concluding the negotiations. "The Peace Agreement is ready for signing. The Republic of Armenia is ready to begin consultations with the Republic of Azerbaijan on the dates and place of signing the agreement," the ministry stated, adding that diplomatic channels had been used to formally communicate this acceptance to Baku.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also confirmed that both sides had reached an agreement on the terms of the draft peace treaty. He reiterated Azerbaijan’s commitment to continuing dialogue with Armenia as part of the broader normalization process between the two nations.

In addition to the peace agreement, Azerbaijan has emphasized the need to formally dissolve the Minsk Group and its associated structures within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also commented on the future of the OSCE Minsk Group, noting that once a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan is signed, the mediation format provided by the group will no longer be necessary.

By Tamilla Hasanova