Pashinyan announces the start of institutionalizing peace with Azerbaijan
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is confident that in the near future, business ties will be established between Armenia and Azerbaijan, becoming one of the most important means and tools for institutionalizing peace between the two countries.
As reported by “Armenpress,” Nikol Pashinyan stated this while presenting the election program of the ruling “Civil Contract” party regarding the institutionalization of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The institutionalization of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 2024 with the process of demarcation and determination of the state border in the Tavush region of the Republic of Armenia, followed by the signing and ratification of the Regulation on the Joint Activities of the Demarcation Commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and continued until 2025. This included the initialing of the agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 8, as well as the affirmation of the principles of peace and the unblocking of transport infrastructures through the Washington Declaration,” the election program of the ruling party states.
Commenting on this provision, Pashinyan noted that the ruling party acknowledges that the institutionalization of peace has effectively begun. “I would like to reiterate that this also has a legally binding basis. We are talking about the Regulation on the Joint Activities of the State Commissions on Border Demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was signed by the deputy prime ministers of the two countries, then underwent the ratification process in both countries, and became an integral part of the legal systems of both nations. This regulation establishes that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize the Alma-Ata Declaration as the fundamental principle of the demarcation process between the two countries, which, in turn, means that the territory of independent Armenia is identical to the territory of Soviet Armenia, and the territory of independent Azerbaijan is identical to the territory of Soviet Azerbaijan,” the Prime Minister said.
Nikol Pashinyan also outlined the key steps that need to be taken to institutionalize peace. “The main steps for further institutionalization of peace are: continuing the demarcation process, implementing the TRIPP project in accordance with the Washington Declaration of August 8, 2025, and in line with the content of the Framework Program for the Implementation of TRIPP, adopted by the governments of the Republic of Armenia and the United States on January 14, which will lead to the complete unblocking of regional channels, the final signing and ratification of the agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the further implementation of the steps outlined in it,” the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia presented.
According to him, the listed steps for institutionalizing peace are not exhaustive. Important tools for the institutionalization of peace include contacts between representatives of civil society and the business community, bilateral trade, political, cultural, and humanitarian dialogue, and the “Civil Contract” party will encourage and support the activation of these directions in the context of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
“I am pleased to note that some programs are already being implemented. Bilateral trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan is being established in small steps, contacts between representatives of civil society are already on a concrete path, and I hope and am confident that in the near future, business ties will also be established, which are one of the most important means and tools for institutionalizing peace,” Pashinyan said.
