Peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan: an end to the conflict?

Peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan: an end to the conflict?

After decades of fighting between the ex-Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel! The governments of both countries have agreed on a peace agreement, reports Krone.at. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced on Thursday that negotiations had been completed and the agreement was now ready for signing. In particular, two contentious points that had previously blocked an agreement have now been resolved. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that in the future there will no longer be any armed forces from third countries stationed at the border.

The step seen as a crucial step toward stability in the Caucasus comes after a deep crisis: In 2023, Azerbaijan captured the Nagorno-Karabakh region during a large-scale military offensive that forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia. The region belongs to Azerbaijan under international law, but is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians. Before the failed negotiations, Russian soldiers had ensured a certain stability in the region, but now the Russian government has announced that it will end its military presence in the Caucasus n-tv.de reported. Details on an exact withdrawal schedule are still pending.

Ending the decades-long conflict could thus usher in a new era of peace and cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, after two bloody wars over the disputed territorial claim. The broad framework of the peace agreement gives hope that the inhumane fighting could soon be a thing of the past - a positive step for the entire region.