Why has the peace agreement not been signed?

The Netherlands [ENA] Why Has the Peace Agreement Not Been Signed? Azerbaijan and Armenia have never been closer to peace. Since the conflict began in the late 1980s and later escalated into war, the two countries have not had such a realistic opportunity to achieve a peace deal. Throughout the years, officials from both sides, including their foreign ministers, have held numerous meetings.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have also met face-to-face several times. Their most recent meeting took place in May 2025 during the 6th Summit of the European Political Community in Albania. On social media, a video clip of Prime Minister Pashinyan saying to President Aliyev, “Let’s have a coffee,” and President Aliyev responding, “Let me finish this conversation and I’ll come,” was widely shared. This highlights that both leaders are now able to communicate directly without intermediaries, a positive development.

In short, as mentioned, the conditions for signing a peace agreement are quite favorable. So why hasn't it happened yet? After reclaiming its occupied territories, Azerbaijan put forward two main conditions for peace. Armenia has repeatedly acknowledged, at least verbally, that it agrees to these conditions. Prime Minister Pashinyan reiterated this during an interview with Azerbaijani journalists in Albania:

1. Amending Armenia’s Constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan argues that Armenia’s constitution still contains territorial claims against it. Armenia does not deny this but has so far failed to take concrete action, only stating that reforms are being considered. 2. Official dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan insists that the Minsk Group no longer functions de facto and must be dissolved legally as the conflict has ended. Armenia has verbally agreed but has yet to submit an official request for dissolution.

In my opinion, both demands by Azerbaijan are justified. A peace agreement cannot be reliable or longterm if one party maintains territorial claims against the other. Lasting peace requires mutual recognition of sovereignty and borders. Dissolving the Minsk Group also makes sense. Even during the decadeslong conflict, the group failed to deliver tangible results. Moreover, two of its co-chair countries - France and Russia – have shown open bias against Azerbaijan, making impartial mediation unlikely. Most importantly, the conflict is now over, and the group is no longer necessary.

The next step is for Armenia to turn its verbal commitments into action by removing constitutional claims and formally requesting the dissolution of the Minsk Group. If this happens, there will be no obstacles left to signing a peace agreement. Let us hope that peace will come to the Caucasus soon, and that the peoples of the region will once again live in harmony after decades of conflict. #Vugar Abbasov #Azerbaijan #Armenia #Caucasus