Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal Breakthrough Offers Hope for Regional Stability

Brussels, March 18, 2025 - Negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have successfully concluded on the full text of a draft peace agreement, offering the first realistic prospect for ending decades of conflict in the South Caucasus region, according to European Parliament officials.

The breakthrough came after Armenia announced its acceptance of Azerbaijan's proposals on the final two unresolved articles and declared its readiness to sign the agreement immediately. European officials have credited the Armenian government with driving this "significant development" forward.

"We trust that the Azerbaijani leadership will seize this historic occasion to end decades of conflict and build a prosperous South Caucasus by signing and implementing the Peace Agreement as concluded in the negotiations," stated leading MEPs in a joint statement.

The draft Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations represents the culmination of lengthy negotiations between the two countries, which have been locked in conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region for over three decades. The most recent major escalation occurred in 2020, followed by Azerbaijan's 2023 military operation that led to the displacement of ethnic Armenians from the region.

European officials are encouraging further progress on border delimitation and the opening of regional communications based on "sovereignty and jurisdiction of either country, reciprocity and equality." Such measures are seen as crucial for unblocking regional development, enhancing connectivity, and fostering sustainable peace and prosperity.

The statement, issued by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister and other senior MEPs, also emphasized the potential for increased people-to-people contacts to facilitate reconciliation among communities that have been divided by conflict.

In a notable diplomatic appeal, European officials also called on Turkey to support the positive regional developments and "reciprocate Armenia's readiness to open the Armenian-Turkish border for the benefit of its own citizens and the entire South Caucasus." The Armenian-Turkish border has remained closed since the 1990s due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The peace agreement, if signed and implemented, would mark a historic turning point for regional stability and could unlock significant economic opportunities for both countries and the broader South Caucasus region. However, the success of any agreement will ultimately depend on both sides' commitment to implementation and their ability to address the complex legacy of decades of conflict.