On Friday, the European Union extended its congratulations to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for securing a peace deal and urged them to finalize and sign the treaty quickly. This significant progress towards full normalization of relations and the opening of the region was highlighted by European Council President Antonio Costa as a decisive step forward. French President Emmanuel Macron also welcomed the news, stating that there are no longer any obstacles standing in the way of signing a peace treaty.

Armenian and Azerbaijani officials announced on Thursday that they had concluded talks aimed at resolving their long-standing conflict, with both parties agreeing on the text of a potential treaty. The Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan confirmed that the agreement is ready to be signed, accepting Baku’s proposals on unresolved articles of the draft. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in Baku indicated that negotiations were over, but called for constitutional amendments by Armenia to waive any territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

This dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is legally part of Azerbaijan but was self-governed with Armenian support, has sparked two wars and continued tensions ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Most recently, in September 2023, over 100,000 Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military action, with Yerevan accusing Baku of ethnic cleansing. Despite both sides stating that a comprehensive peace agreement is possible, earlier talks failed to reach an agreement on a draft accord.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-welcomes-conclusion-of-armenia-azerbaijan-peace-talks/a-71920443?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf