US Secretary of State upbeat about imminent Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed optimism that a long-overdue peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia could soon be concluded, raising hopes for the final resolution of a conflict rooted in decades of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting in the White House on July 8, Rubio highlighted positive diplomatic momentum in the South Caucasus and credited the administration of President Donald Trump for fostering the conditions necessary for progress, Caliber.Az reports.

“Hopefully, pretty soon, a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia [will be concluded],” Rubio stated. “And it hasn’t even been six months. So it’s a great testament to your leadership.”

Although Rubio refrained from disclosing specific details, his comments reflect growing international recognition of Azerbaijan’s constructive role in pursuing lasting peace in the region. Following Baku’s restoration of full sovereignty over the Karabakh region in 2023, Azerbaijan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to normalising relations based on the principles of territorial integrity and mutual respect.

After decades of Armenian occupation and aggression, Azerbaijan successfully restored its sovereignty over the entirety of its internationally recognised territory, including the Karabakh region, following the anti-terror operation of September 2023. This marked a decisive end to separatist claims and created a new reality on the ground, prompting renewed momentum in peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan.

On March 13, 2025, the two sides announced they had finalised the text of a bilateral peace treaty, a major diplomatic achievement primarily driven by Azerbaijan’s firm and consistent position on territorial integrity and regional stability. The draft treaty outlines mutual recognition of borders, non-use of force, renunciation of territorial claims, and the cessation of hostile legal and political actions.

The international community, including Türkiye, the European Union, and the United States, has welcomed the progress made, with Ankara playing a particularly supportive role in encouraging Yerevan to align with the region’s new geopolitical realities. However, the signing of a lasting peace agreement ultimately depends on Armenia’s political will to renounce its revisionist policies and recognise Azerbaijan’s full sovereignty without preconditions.

Despite this progress, the peace agreement remains unsigned due to Armenia’s failure to fulfil critical preconditions. Chief among them is the need to amend its constitution, which still contains irredentist references to Karabakh—a direct contradiction to the principle of territorial integrity. Baku has made it clear that no peace deal is possible as long as such unconstitutional claims remain. Additionally, Azerbaijan demands the official disbandment of the obsolete OSCE Minsk Group structure, which Yerevan continues to reference despite its irrelevance in the current context.

By Vugar Khalilov