The longstanding conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region may soon see resolution. This follows an announcement by Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary for the President of Russia, stating that the leaders of the two nations have shown readiness to finalize a peace agreement. This development signifies a major stride towards ending hostilities and establishing enduring peace in the South Caucasus.
According to Russian media reports, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, have expressed their willingness to finalize a peace treaty. This came to light during an informal CIS summit in Saint Petersburg on December 26. The leaders’ readiness to reach a consensus on a single document underscores a potentially historic breakthrough in the protracted dispute.
The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which dates back to the times of the Ottoman and Qajar empires, has triggered two wars between the countries. Despite ongoing negotiations, challenges and tensions continue to persist. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister stressed that a peace treaty would not resolve all disputes, while the Armenian Prime Minister expressed optimism about signing a peace agreement if Azerbaijan accepts mutually agreed principles.
Amid these hopeful developments, relations between Azerbaijan and France have been strained, with Azerbaijan declaring two French embassy employees as personae non gratae. This comes as Baku accuses France of favoritism towards Armenia in European-mediated peace talks. Despite initial hopes for a comprehensive peace agreement by the year’s end, negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, facilitated by international mediation, have shown minimal progress.
https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/azerbaijan-and-armenia-leaders-ready-to-finalize-peace-treaty/