“One of the most important issues for the government”: Armenia hopes to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan within five years

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said Thursday he hoped for the signing and ratification of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan before 2031, as these two Caucasian countries work to normalize their relations after decades of territorial conflict. Since the end of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over Karabakh, a territory populated by Armenians, in Azerbaijan. In 2023, Baku regained control of this region, triggering the exodus of 100,000 Armenians.

A lasting settlement of this dispute could reopen transport routes through this strategic region. “Signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan is one of the most important issues for the government and for me personally,” Nikol Pashinian said at a cabinet meeting. “I have set myself a task, a precise timetable: to resolve this issue before 2031,” said the head of government who was reappointed following the legislative elections last June. “I see such a possibility. Otherwise, I would not raise this issue.

A treaty to establish diplomatic relations

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement during a summit at the White House, under the auspices of US President Donald Trump in August 2025, but the treaty has not yet been officially signed or ratified. Baku has demanded changes to the Armenian Constitution before signing, saying the reference to a declaration of independence calling for unification with Karabakh amounts to a territorial claim.

These constitutional changes should be approved by a national referendum. Yerevan rejects this interpretation and argues that the text of the treaty addresses concerns over territorial claims. The draft commits both countries to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, renounce territorial claims and establish diplomatic relations.