Armenia proposes peace treaty to Azerbaijan

YEREVAN

Armenia has proposed a peace treaty to Azerbaijan, which includes 13 of the 17 agreed-upon articles of a broader peace agreement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced.

Pashinyan said Yerevan offered Baku to sign a peace treaty that included the agreed-upon articles and left the remaining issues for future negotiations.

"We have reached consensus on the majority of the articles and suggest signing a peace treaty based on these agreed points," Armenian news outlet Armenpress reported quoted Pashinyan as saying.

Pashinyan also proposed a border meeting with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev to help advance the peace process.

He acknowledged that, while trilateral talks with Russia are not out of the question, Armenia prefers to focus on bilateral negotiations with Azerbaijan at the moment.

He emphasized Armenia's commitment to the ceasefire agreement with Azerbaijan, but expressed concern over inconsistent statements by "some partners" in Russia, which he believes have hampered regional connectivity efforts.

He reiterated Armenia's willingness to establish a link between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan, while insisting that territorial integrity and sovereignty are non-negotiable.

Regarding Armenia's participation in the upcoming 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said the decision would depend on the evolving situation.

In the meantime, Azerbaijanis headed to the polls yesterday in an early parliamentary election that will determine the composition of the country’s 125-seat National Assembly.

More than 6.4 million registered voters began casting their ballots at 8:00 a.m. local time (04:00 GMT). The polls remained open until 7:00 p.m. (15:00 GMT). A total of 990 candidates were vying for seats in the National Assembly.

This election is particularly significant as it marks the first time in 30 years that parliamentary elections are being held across all of Azerbaijan's territory, including regions recently liberated from Armenian occupation.