Why Azerbaijan Does Not Want to Sign the Peace Agreement

Yerevan does not see political will from Baku to sign a peace treaty. This was stated today by Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a meeting organized within the framework of the security forum in Warsaw.

Regarding the negotiations on the peace treaty, Mirzoyan noted that significant work has been done over the past 2-3 years, despite challenges, escalations, and attacks on Armenian territories. He emphasized that the Armenian side has always been constructive in the negotiations.

In the current situation, according to Mirzoyan, there is both good and bad news. The good news is that the Armenian side has managed to achieve successes with the Azerbaijani side. In this context, the head of Armenia's foreign affairs agency specifically highlighted the first legitimate document signed between the two countries—the regulations for the work of the delimitation commissions.

According to Mirzoyan, the bad news is that there is currently a nearly fully agreed draft of the treaty, but it is not being signed. “The Azerbaijani side is reluctant to sign the peace agreement for some reasons; they are constantly introducing new preconditions, and we see that they simply do not want to sign the document,” Mirzoyan stated.

In response to the Azerbaijani side's statements that not all points of the agreement are agreed upon, the Foreign Minister said that there is no agreement in the world between two countries that regulates all components of their relations. “We can sign this very serious document and continue to negotiate on the remaining issues,” he added.

Mirzoyan expressed hope that the upcoming COP29 in Baku in November could contribute to the peace process. He reminded that Armenia supported Azerbaijan in hosting this summit. “I believe there is a real opportunity to close the chapter of conflict in our region, at least between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and open a new era of peace and cooperation,” Mirzoyan said.

Addressing the concerns among the Armenian people regarding security and how the government can alleviate these worries, Mirzoyan stated that he, as Foreign Minister, cannot do this, because he does not have that confidence either. Azerbaijan continues its statements regarding the so-called 'Western Azerbaijan,' which includes almost all of the territory of the Republic of Armenia. “They assure that this is not a territorial claim, but unfortunately, the impression is completely opposite,” Mirzoyan noted.