Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared Armenia’s readiness to sign a peace deal with Azerbaijan by the end of the year. Pashinyan also affirmed that Armenia would ensure the safety of all Azerbaijani citizens on its territory, according to reports from Russia’s TASS news agency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently expressed optimism regarding the potential for a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, underscoring the importance of goodwill from both sides. Putin played down the perceived difficulty of reaching an agreement on their shared border.
The announcement comes in the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s rapid offensive last month to seize control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region governed by ethnic Armenians with Armenia’s support for three decades. The conflict led to the displacement of the majority of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenians, with many seeking refuge in Armenia.
The prospective signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan signifies a significant diplomatic development and holds the potential to contribute to the stabilization of the region following recent hostilities.