Armenia and Azerbaijan Nearing Peace Treaty After Decades of Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the verge of signing a peace treaty, marking a significant step towards resolving decades of conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that his government has formally presented a draft treaty to Azerbaijan, indicating substantial progress in recent bilateral discussions. The draft includes 17 articles, with 13 already agreed upon, including the preamble. This follows the signing of an agreement establishing a joint border commission to demarcate the shared border. The two neighboring countries have engaged in numerous conflicts over the years, most notably over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and within Armenia’s internationally recognized borders. Following the 2022 war, an EU monitoring mission was deployed to Armenia to oversee the tense situation, prompting the withdrawal of Russian border guards stationed there since the collapse of the Soviet Union. While the European Union has strengthened political ties with Armenia in recent years as the country shifts away from Russia’s sphere of influence, Brussels also maintains close relations with Azerbaijan. In 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Baku to sign an agreement boosting gas exports from the energy-rich nation as part of efforts to diversify away from Russian energy.