Yerevan, Baku to expand sectoral cooperation after peace deal, says Pashinyan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan will extend beyond the signing of a peace treaty, with both sides expected to conclude further agreements on sectoral cooperation.

Speaking during a joint statement alongside European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following the Armenia–EU summit in Yerevan, Pashinyan said the peace agreement would mark a beginning rather than an end, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

He noted that the implementation of the deal would require additional arrangements, particularly in areas such as transport and connectivity.

According to the Armenian leader, cooperation in transport is already functioning in practice without a dedicated agreement. He stressed the importance of fully opening regional routes, including the eventual reopening of the border with Türkiye, expressing confidence that this would take place.

Pashinyan said the full unblocking of communications would be essential for the free movement of people and goods and for boosting trade, while emphasising that cooperation must be based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He added that these principles are already reflected in existing trilateral understandings and referred to discussions held at a Washington summit in August 2025.

“There is significant potential in this area, and in my view it is already beginning to be realised,” he said.

Pashinyan also suggested that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is effectively taking shape, noting what he described as increasingly similar rhetoric between the two sides. He said both countries are learning to live in conditions of peace and are still defining its practical meaning and content.