Azerbaijan-Armenia peace negotiations gain momentum in NY meeting

NEW YORK

Azerbaijan and Armenia committed on Thursday to intensify their efforts to finalize a peace treaty currently under negotiation between the neighboring nations.

Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that said the talks were held at the initiative of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Both parties expressed their gratitude to Blinken for organizing the discussions and agreed to aim for a swift conclusion to the negotiations, according to the statement.

The U.S. State Department noted that Blinken praised both countries for the progress made toward peace and encouraged them to finalize an agreement as quickly as possible.

"The Secretary underscored that a peace agreement would bring increased stability and prosperity to the region," the statement added.

Tensions between Baku and Yerevan have persisted since 1991 when Armenian forces occupied Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent areas.

The majority of the territory was reclaimed by Azerbaijan during a 44-day conflict in the autumn of 2020, which concluded with a Russian-brokered peace deal that set the stage for normalization and border demarcation.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan solidified its sovereignty over Karabakh following an "anti-terrorist operation," after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.