Pashinyan details step-by-step plan for lasting peace with Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the process of institutionalizing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has already begun and is grounded in a legally binding framework, outlining a series of steps aimed at advancing long-term stability between the two countries.

Speaking while presenting the program of the ruling Civil Contract Party, Pashinyan traced the origins of the process to developments in 2024.

“The institutionalization of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 2024 with the delimitation and demarcation of the state border in the Tavush region of the Republic of Armenia, followed by the signing and ratification of the regulation on the joint activities of the delimitation commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and continued in 2025 with the initialing of the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Washington Declaration on the principles of peace and the unblocking of transport infrastructure,” Pashinyan said, reading from the party program.

Commenting on the provision, the prime minister said the ruling party believes the institutionalization of peace is already underway.

“I also want to remind that it has a de jure binding legal basis. I am referring to the regulation on the joint activities of the State Border Delimitation Commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which were signed by the deputy prime ministers of the two countries, then underwent ratification procedures in both states, becoming an integral part of the legal systems of both countries. And it is stipulated in those regulations that Armenia and Azerbaijan accept that the basic principle for the delimitation process between the two countries is the Alma-Ata Declaration, which in turn means that the territory of independent Armenia is identical to the territory of Soviet Armenia, and the territory of independent Azerbaijan is identical to the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan,” the prime minister said.

Pashinyan also outlined priority measures for further advancing the process, including continued border delimitation, implementation of infrastructure initiatives, and the formalization of a peace agreement.

“The priority steps for the further institutionalization of peace are the continuation of the delimitation process; the implementation of the TRIPP project in line with the content of the Washington Declaration of August 8, 2025, and the TRIPP Implementation Framework adopted by the Governments of Armenia and the United States on January 14, 2026, which will lead to the full unblocking of regional transport links; as well as the final signing and ratification of the initialed Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the subsequent implementation of the steps envisioned therein,” he said.

According to the prime minister, these measures are not exhaustive. He stressed that broader engagement—including civil society contacts, business cooperation, bilateral trade, and political, cultural, and humanitarian dialogue—will play a crucial role in embedding peace.

“The listed steps for institutionalizing peace are not limited to those mentioned. Contacts between civil society and business community representatives, bilateral trade, and political, cultural, and humanitarian dialogue are important tools for institutionalizing peace, and the Civil Contract party will encourage and support the activation of these areas in the context of Armenia–Azerbaijan relations,” he said.

Pashinyan added that initial progress is already visible in some areas, expressing confidence that economic ties will follow.

“I am pleased to note that some initiatives are already becoming a reality: bilateral trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan is developing in small steps, contacts between civil society representatives are already taking a concrete shape, and I hope and am convinced that business ties will also be established in the near future, which is one of the key means and tools for institutionalizing peace,” Pashinyan said.

By Vafa Guliyeva