Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has ruled out any new war with Azerbaijan and reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to swiftly sign a peace treaty, emphasizing the need for a final and lasting agreement for regional stability. Speaking at the Yerevan Dialogue 2025 forum on May 26, Pashinyan reiterated his government’s commitment to the peace agenda, despite Baku’s continued delays, demands, and provocative rhetoric.
“I strongly believe that despite all arguments, all provocations and so on, there will be no war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There will be peace, and this is unequivocal for me,” Pashinyan stated.
“Lasting and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not only possible, but within reach,” he added.
“We are ready to sign the peace treaty at the earliest opportunity,” Pashinyan said. “Armenia has been consistent in its commitment to peace, and we are determined to finalize this process, which can radically transform the situation in the region and the fate of its people.”
Pashinyan confirmed that Armenia and Azerbaijan have already agreed on the draft text of the peace treaty. The document affirms that both countries recognize each other’s territorial integrity as defined during the Soviet Union era. It also includes a provision stating that neither party has territorial claims against the other and commits not to raise any such claims in the future. Additionally, the draft contains a clause stipulating that neither side may invoke its domestic legislation as a reason to avoid implementing the terms of the agreement.
However, Pashinyan noted that Azerbaijan has stalled the signing by introducing new conditions—specifically the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and amendments to Armenia’s constitution.
“The dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group is acceptable to us, but we want to ensure that Azerbaijan does not seek to resolve the conflict on its territory while creating new disputes over Armenian territory,” Pashinyan stressed, pointing to Baku’s narrative of “Western Azerbaijan,” a term it uses to refer to over 60% of Armenia’s internationally recognized territory.
“There isn’t and cannot be any ‘Western Azerbaijan’ within the sovereign territory of Armenia,” he stated. “For us, even discussing such a concept is unacceptable.”
He emphasized that once the peace agreement is signed, it must be reviewed by Armenia’s Constitutional Court to ensure compliance with the national constitution. “If the Constitutional Court finds any contradiction, I am prepared to initiate constitutional amendments, because we must not miss this chance for peace,” Pashinyan said. “If the court finds no contradictions, the treaty will proceed to parliament for ratification.”
Pashinyan reaffirmed Armenia’s openness to continued consultations with Baku to resolve remaining issues and move the peace process forward.
The Prime Minister also proposed a coordinated and transparent approach to finalize the agreement, suggesting that both countries sign the peace treaty and a joint request to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group structures at the same time.
“This is a constructive offer: to have both documents on the table and sign them in the same place at the same time,” Pashinyan said.
