Statue of a Dictator (Aliyev Clan)

[Yervant1]

Jamestown Foundation

March 24 2025

 

Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Deal Faces Hurdles

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 22 Issue:

By: Onnik James Krikorian

March 24, 2025 01:32 PM Age: 3 hours

Executive Summary: 

• Armenia and Azerbaijan have finalized the text of a long-awaited “Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations.” The announcement came unexpectedly from Baku and was confirmed soon after by Yerevan.
• Yerevan seeks to sign the agreement quickly, while Baku says that Armenia must first remove a controversial preamble in its constitution that refers to what amounts to territorial claims on the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
• The opposition in Armenia maintains that Azerbaijan will not sign the agreement if it believes that it can gain more concessions from Armenia. 

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On March 13, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the media that the text of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan had been finalized (Azertac, March 13). The announcement came as a surprise on the sidelines of the Global Baku Forum, an annual gathering of heads of state and government themed this year as “Rethinking World Order: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities” (President of Azerbaijan, March 13). A day earlier, Baryramov’s Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, told journalists that an agreement was within reach but did not divulge any details (Azatutyun, March 12). Following Bayramov’s announcement, the Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed the news and expressed its readiness to agree on a time and place for signing the agreement (Azatutyun, March 13). There has been no joint statement.

The United States, European Union, France, Germany, the People’s Republic of China, and Russia have all voiced support for the agreement (X/@ABaerbock; French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 13; DW; TASS; Armenpress; U.S. Department of State, March 14). Even multilateral organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) welcomed the news (X/@NATOpress; Armenpress, March 14). 

The peace agreement comprises 17 points, two of which remained outstanding until last week. These two points concerned the withdrawal of legal cases filed between Armenia and Azerbaijan in international courts and a prohibition on deploying “third country forces” on their shared border (ARKA News Agency, March 13). The latter point is taken to specifically refer to the European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA), deployed only on the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan in February 2023. Despite criticism from Baku, EUMA’s deployment was extended last month for another two-year term (see EDM, March 14, 2024, January 25). 

This treaty is not without its complexities despite marking a potential turning point in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. The official text of the peace treaty is not yet publicly available. Armenian analysts are particularly concerned by what they describe as preconditions outside of the text itself. Baku considers these preconditions necessary before it can sign the document. Specifically, Azerbaijan’s consistent demands that Armenia amend its constitution continue to be assessed negatively domestically (Azatutyun, March 14, 15). Baku claims Armenia has included territorial claims on Azerbaijan in the constitution’s preamble, referring to “nationwide objectives enshrined” in the 1990 Declaration of Independence (President of the Republic of Armenia, December 12, 2015; see EDM, June 25, 2024).

Pashinyan has previously claimed that the declaration is separate from the constitution and that it is Azerbaijan’s constitution that references territorial claims on Armenia rather than vice versa (President of Azerbaijan, November 27, 1995; see EDM, January 11, 2024; Prime Minister of Armenia, November 13, 2024). The opposition widely believes that the preamble will be changed or removed among wide constitutional changes planned in the future. The Armenian government’s messaging, however, has also been muddled. After Bayramov’s statement, Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan suggested that both the Armenian and Azerbaijani constitutions could be presented to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for its opinion (Azatutyun, March 17). Recently appointed Armenian Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan has implied that a new constitution should not threaten a potential peace deal (Azatutyun, March 18).

In February, Pashinyan addressed the nation to present his vision for a “Real Armenia” that required changing the constitution (The Prime Minister of Armenia, February 19). Despite not denying the removal of the constitution’s preamble, Pashinyan later stated in March that changes to the constitution will “inherently have regional significance” (Arka, March 13). A draft of the new document should be ready by the next parliamentary elections scheduled for mid-2026 (News.am, March 21). If Baku maintains that changing the constitution will be necessary to sign the agreed peace treaty, then this clearly creates problems. Some Baku-based analysts and former U.K. Ambassador to Azerbaijan James Sharp have suggested that a mechanism whereby an agreement does not come into force until constitution changes are enacted could be considered, but whether this is an option remains unknown (Caliber, June 11, 2024, Caspian Policy Center, March 15).

Azerbaijan and Russia have also called for the dissolution of the Minsk Group, the international body established by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that mediated the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (OSCE, March 23, 1995; ARKA News Agency, January 31). Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most analysts believe it has no relevance today. Although Russia and the European Union have provided platforms for talks since 2021, they became fully bilateral in October 2023 (see EDM, April 21, 2022, February 24; JAM News, August 16, 2024; Topchubashov Center, December 29, 2024). France, Russia, and the United States technically remain the group’s three co-chairs (OSCE, accessed March 23). The demand to dissolve the group is largely acceptable to Armenia, but Yerevan prefers that the formal signing of a peace agreement occur first. Azerbaijan, however, considers that the continued existence of the OSCE Minsk Group following a signed peace agreement could put the issue of Karabakh back on the table (JAM News, August 16, 2024). 

The issue of unblocking regional transport and economic links, particularly regarding an overland route between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenia, further complicates progress on a peace agreement (see EDM, January 25, 2024). Earlier this year, Pashinyan said discussions continue outside the actual peace treaty (ArmenPress, January 31). Baku, however, has yet to respond.

Armenia’s relationship with Russia also remains a potential risk for securing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan has already accepted an invitation to attend the annual Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, something he declined last year (RIA Novosti, March 14). Following Bayramov’s announcement on March 13, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk also signaled that Moscow is willing to resurrect the trilateral working group on unblocking regional communications routes established with Armenia and Azerbaijan following the November 2020 ceasefire statement (News.am, March 18). As global power dynamics shift, particularly regarding Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and potentially changing relationships between Russia and the United States, Moscow could again seek to exert influence.

Yerevan remains eager to normalize relations with Ankara if an Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement falls through (see EDM, May 6, 2024). That prospect, however, remains unlikely as Türkiye insists that Yerevan and Baku first resolve their differences before normalization of Armenia-Türkiye relations can be achieved (APA, March 13). Although the closed Armenia-Turkish border was temporarily opened for 10 days to send humanitarian assistance to Syria, Ankara maintains this is not a permanent step (Armenian Public Radio, March 21; News.am, March 24). Azerbaijan considers that all outstanding issues should be resolved before an agreement is signed (AIR Center, March 17, 19). Armenia believes the agreement should be signed before any more regional and global developments disrupt the process, especially if Russia were to re-establish its focus on South Caucasus (Responsible Statecraft, March 17). 

In the meantime, Azerbaijan claims that Armenia has violated the ceasefire agreement over several days, something that Yerevan denies (Azatutyun, March 18). Pashinyan posted on social media that he is now ready to sign the agreement and ordered the Ministry of Defense not to violate the truce (X/@NikolPashinyan, March 19). Mirzoyan has also suggested establishing a joint arms control mechanism, while Pashinyan has again proposed that Baku start consultations with Yerevan on signing the treaty (Azatutyun, March 20). The same day, Armenian National Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan repeated the proposal (Azatutyun, March 20). 

These challenges represent only the surface of the complexities that Armenia and Azerbaijan must overcome before signing a peace agreement. The coming weeks and months will reveal the degree to which both sides are committed to ensuring a lasting peace or if rhetoric and state narratives are the only progress achieved at this point. While the announcement of a finalized peace agreement offers a glimmer of hope, those hurdles remain. Unless Azerbaijan withdraws its longstanding demand that the Armenian constitution be changed, it is unlikely to be signed before mid-2026 or even 2027.

 

https://jamestown.org/program/azerbaijan-armenia-peace-deal-faces-hurdles/

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Armenian Border Villagers Report Continuing Azeri Gunfire

Մարտ 27, 2025

• Artak Khulian

 

Armenia - A view of the village of Khnatsakh, June10, 2023.

 

Residents of two border villages in Armenia’s southeastern Syunik province said on Thursday that Azerbaijani troops deployed nearby opened cross-border fire for the seventh consecutive night.

Their daily reports of such automatic gunfire began a week after Armenia and Azerbaijan bridged their remaining differences on the text of a bilateral peace treaty. Despite the progress in peace talks, the Azerbaijani military accused Armenian forces throughout last week of violating the ceasefire at various sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The Armenian side denied the accusations.

People living in the neighboring Syunik villages of Khoznavar and Khnatsakh have since been on edge over Azerbaijani gunshots which they say are mainly fired into the air from around 10 p.m. until the early hours of the next morning.

“We are primarily worried about our children, who get scared,” Manushak Soghomonian, a woman from Khnatsakh, told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service

Soghomonian said the village school is located just 100 meters from the nearest Azerbaijani army position. She said she and other parents therefore wonder whether they should send their children back to the school after the end of a spring break in early April.

Defense Minister Suren Papikian continued to play down the significance of the reported gunfire when he spoke in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday.

“There are cases of shooting along the border but they are not directed towards Armenia,” Papikian said, justifying his ministry’s failure to issue official statements on them.

“The way to solve the problem is diplomatic,” he added without elaborating.

Seyran Ohanian, a former defense minister leading the opposition Hayastan alliance’s parliamentary group, deplored the Armenian Defense Ministry’s reluctance to criticize Azerbaijan. He said Baku is now trying to exert “psychological pressure” on Armenia’s population and force the Armenian government to make more concessions.

Azerbaijani officials have effectively dismissed Armenian calls for a quick signing of the peace treaty finalized by the two sides on March 13. They say that Yerevan must first meet a number of conditions, notably a change of Armenia’s constitution which they say contains territorial claims to Azerbaijan.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33362194.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJTra5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVeUieA_yYWv1KGgacY_W7dY2KgpmmmjOxNIpp7eebL2lJ-Z5d8H3abHrQ_aem_xYdHbu-AVBTIeElo2htRLg

[Yervant1]

JAM News

March 29 2025

 

 

'Hatred of Armenians is the glue of Aliyev regime': Yerevan reacts to Aliyev’s speech

• JAMnews

• Yerevan

For the past two weeks, Armenian authorities have repeatedly declared their readiness to sign the finalised text of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. At the same time, the international community has urged both sides to sign the document as soon as possible. However, Baku continues to impose preconditions for signing, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev uses increasingly aggressive, hate-fuelled rhetoric.

Speaking yesterday in Aghdam — a region that came under Azerbaijani control after the 44-day Karabakh war — Ilham Aliyev referred to Armenians as “hateful enemies” and claimed that “Armenian fascism is the highest form of fascism.” Aliyev made similar remarks before — including earlier this year, when he declared that “the so-called independent Armenian state is essentially a fascist state.”

According to Armenia-based Azerbaijan expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan, “this kind of discourse is yet another proof of Aliyev’s racist policies.” She notes that such rhetoric has become a regular pattern. In 2024 alone, the Azerbaijani president has referred to Armenians as “jackals,” “rabbits,” “bloodthirsty enemies,” and “vandals.” In Hayrapetyan’s view, “state-level hate propaganda unites Azerbaijani society against a common enemy and helps legitimise military aggression.”

Aliyev’s speech sparked strong reactions among Armenian analysts, with many condemning his stance.

“Aliyev’s regime has become the main branch of fascism in the region. His rhetoric clearly shows that the Azerbaijani dictator has no real intention of making peace with Armenia — even though he himself agreed to the draft treaty,” said political analyst Ruben Mehrabyan.

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• ‘Moscow won’t be able to settle comfortably between Yerevan and Baku’: Pashinyan–Rubio conversation
• ‘Problems must be resolved without use of force’: Iranian foreign minister visits Yerevan
• Armenia ‘does not set goals for escalation’—what about Azerbaijan? Analysis from Yerevan

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Aliyev on “hateful enemies”

Azerbaijani media report that on 27 March, President Ilham Aliyev met with residents of the village of Sarijali in the Aghdam district. He handed over keys to their new apartments and gave a 15-minute speech. In particular, he said:

“Both the city of Aghdam and all the villages in the district were completely destroyed by the hateful enemy — not a single building was left standing. This once again shows the true nature of the enemy, their utterly baseless hostility towards us. […]

Aghdam is called the ‘Hiroshima of the Caucasus’. But the difference is that Hiroshima was destroyed by an atomic bomb. Aghdam, on the other hand, was dismantled stone by stone over 30 years by thieves, looters — Armenian looters — and its remains sold off in different places. This is unprecedented barbarism. I’ve said it many times before: Armenian fascism is the peak of fascism.”

During his speech — and in the Q&A session that followed — Aliyev made no mention of the peace treaty or the possibility of signing it.

'Time bomb lies beneath Baku's demands,' says Armenian analyst

Political analyst Narek Sukiasyan believes that if Armenian citizens vote against the new constitution in a referendum, Azerbaijan could use it as a casus belli—a pretext for declaring war.

 

Expert commentary

Azerbaijan expert Tatevik Hayrapetyan counted 11 instances of the word “enemy” used by Ilham Aliyev in his 15-minute speech — all in reference to Armenians — along with accusations of fascism. Her conclusion:

“If Aliyev is looking for a fascist, he only needs to look in the mirror.”

According to her, Baku continues to provoke hostility and hatred while simultaneously blocking any prospects for reconciliation or peace.

Hayrapetyan also analysed the Azerbaijani president’s speeches from the previous year, noting a consistent pattern of aggressive rhetoric and hate speech. She compiled all his statements in an article, concluding:

By documenting Aliyev’s own words, we gain a stark, unfiltered view of how deeply anti-Armenian sentiment is embedded in Azerbaijan’s political discourse and why peace remains so elusive.

She adds that reports by the human rights organisation Transparency International also highlight how Azerbaijani authorities systematically promote the dehumanisation and demonisation of Armenians. Such a policy, she argues, shapes a national identity built on a sense of superiority over Armenians and their humiliation.

Hayrapetyan believes that this hate-filled rhetoric serves two purposes:

• to inflame public sentiment, and
• to provide a false moral justification for Azerbaijan’s continued military operations and violations of international humanitarian law.

She concludes that the Azerbaijani government has shut down all internal debate about peace — and notes that those advocating for Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation face the threat of imprisonment.

'Yerevan should propose that US become guarantor of peace treaty with Baku' – opinion

According to Aram Sargsyan, leader of the Republic Party, the United States is the only power capable of restraining Azerbaijan from aggression, unlike Russia and the collective West.

 

Political analyst Ruben Mehrabyan told JAMnews that the focus of Ilham Aliyev’s speech targeted domestic Azerbaijani audience:

“Creating and maintaining the image of an enemy remains essential for the stability of the Aliyev regime. It’s the glue that holds his rule together — and he has no intention of giving it up. In fact, he’s amplifying it.”

In his view, Aliyev’s statements also serve as a signal to Azerbaijani media to disseminate this rhetoric more broadly. At the same time, he sends a warning to pro-peace segments of society that authorities will treat their behaviour as “anti-state” and punish it.

Mehrabyan doesn’t rule out that the aggressive rhetoric could become a tool for escalation:

“It’s a fallback option Aliyev keeps on standby — a door he always wants to keep open.”

He believes that Yerevan is likely to issue an official response to Aliyev’s remarks. He also interprets the recent special session of the OSCE Permanent Council, convened at Armenia’s request, as a form of response — although Aliyev’s speech came after that session. Thus, he sees the speech as Baku’s answer to Yerevan’s push for a treaty and to international pressure.

Mehrabyan acknowledges that Azerbaijan is under some international pressure, but says it is far from sufficient to force a policy shift.

He argues that change is only likely if Aliyev begins to feel the threat of economic sanctions against Azerbaijan or personal sanctions against members of his family.

However, he notes that no major global players currently show the will to impose such measures. As a result, he advises the Armenian government to take its own steps, making use of the existing international consensus in favour of signing a peace treaty.

Mehrabyan believes Armenia must build its strategy around the real possibility of future Azerbaijani aggression, suggesting the development of a “Plan B” in case Baku is not planning to sign a peace deal in the near future. This should involve continued reforms, building new alliances, modernising the military, and establishing a strong defence and security system.

https://jam-news.net/hatred-of-armenians-is-the-glue-of-aliyev-regime-yerevan-reacts-to-aliyevs-speech/

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics16:08, 29 March 2025

Great Britain calls on Azerbaijan to release Armenian POWs

Read the article in: ՀայերենРусский

A question was raised in the House of Lords regarding the cruel treatment against 23 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh held captive in Azerbaijan. The question was raised by the Bishop of Winchester and was answered by Baroness Jenny Chapman of Darlington, a Labour Party member, who presented the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Development.

In response to the question about the UK government’s statements to Azerbaijan and the steps taken in coordination with international partners to ensure Azerbaijan carries out its international obligations, Baroness Chapman stated that “the UK had urged Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee fair trials and safe conditions for those detained during the September 2023 military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh”.

"Our embassy in Baku is closely monitoring these cases and regularly requests updates. We also continue to call for the release of all remaining prisoners of war. Secretary of State Stephen Doughty raised these issues with Elchin Amirbekov, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan, during his visit to the UK in October 2024," the response stated.

“On March 10, 2025, during a meeting with Hikmet Hajiyev, the Chief Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan, he emphasized the importance of the possibility of signing a peace treaty. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary of the UK also conveyed the same messages,” it reads.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1215791?fbclid=IwY2xjawJVSpxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZSgfN1a2NfhJg3aGdHhP-PKxFBIQybQast55OhVF1iMBIdJoAQn7F4k5g_aem_CbW1NKQIzi4feAjxOxlHbw

[Yervant1]

OC Media

March 31 2025

 

 

Yerevan rejects Baku’s ceasefire violation accusations, claims Azerbaijan has fired towards Armenia

 

by Xandie (Alexandra) Kuenning

 

Armenia’s Defence Ministry has again refuted Azerbaijani allegations of ceasefire violations, while in turn accusing the Azerbaijani Armed Forces of opening fire towards a settlement in Syunik, ‘resulting in damage to a residential house’.

Following a week of silence, Azerbaijan has again accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire, claiming that on the evening of 29 March and the morning of 30 March, ‘units of the Armenian armed forces using small arms repeatedly subjected to fire the positions of the Azerbaijan Army’ from the direction of Goris, in Syunik, and Vardenis and Chambarak in Gegharkunik.

In a separate statement published on Monday, Azerbaijan claimed that the same actions occurred from 22:30 on 30 March to 04:35 on 31 March.

Azerbaijan in both official statements also claimed that Armenia had used ‘unmanned aerial vehicles and drones’ in an attempt to ‘carry out  reconnaissance flights over the Azerbaijan Army positions’.

Armenia’s Defence Ministry refuted all allegations, claiming that the statements issued by Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry did ‘not correspond to reality’. The ministry also recalled that Pashinyan’s office has repeatedly proposed the establishment of a joint Armenia–Azerbaijan mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations, which Azerbaijan has yet to respond to, and that the ministry itself has also offered to investigate any accusations should Azerbaijan provide evidence.

For the first time since the most recent round of accusations began in March, however, Armenia accused Azerbaijan armed forces of opening fire, stating that at approximately 00:50, the Azerbaijani fired towards the Khnatsakh settlement in Syunik, damaging a residential house.

In their official statement, Armenia’s Defence Ministry included photos of a broken window and of the bullet which reportedly caused the breakage. They noted additionally that no casualties were reported, but urged the Azerbaijani side to ‘conduct an investigation into the shelling of a residential building in Khnatsakh and to provide public clarifications regarding the incident’.

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Since 21 March, there have been numerous reports that shots have been recorded along the Armenia–Azerbaijan border in Syunik and Gegharkunik, ostensibly by Azerbaijani armed forces firing towards Armenian settlements.

That day, various media reports claimed that Azerbaijani troops had opened fire towards Armenian positions in the Gegharkunik region the previous night, while allegations appeared on social media that ‘bullets were also found on the territory of Sotk mine’.

In response to these claims, Armenia’s Defence Ministry characterised the allegations as ‘information that does not correspond to reality’, noting that  ‘sometimes shots are recorded along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border which do not target’ Armenia’s territory.

In turn, Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan said that the ministry always issued statements on ‘all dangerous shots and violations directed at our positions and personnel’, insisting that the shots heard were not targeted towards Armenian territory.

Following this, on 26 March, CivilNet’s journalist Gevorg Tosunyan wrote on Facebook that while filming in Kutakan, Gegharkunik region two days prior, he and his colleagues heard shooting several times, with locals commenting that previously they had heard shooting only at night.

In the period leading up to 21 March, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire at least 13 times, which Armenia repeatedly denied.

https://oc-media.org/yerevan-rejects-bakus-ceasefire-violation-accusations-claims-azerbaijan-has-fired-towards-armenia/ 

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

 

Politics09:00, 31 March 2025

Only weak souls are afraid of peace – MEP Loiseau comments on Baku's delay in signing peace agreement with Yerevan

Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենРусский简体中文

The Member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau expects the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to be signed as soon as possible. In an interview with Armenpress, she expressed confidence that there is no reason to delay the signing.

Commenting on the finalization of negotiations on the full text of the draft Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations, she emphasized the importance of its swift signing and stated that she looks forward to it.

 “I look forward to the early signing of the peace agreement reached by Armenia and Azerbaijan. The region and its inhabitants deserve peace and to see all their rights respected,” said the MEP.

Speaking about the possibility of signing an agreement aimed at normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations under the conditions where the Azerbaijani side continues to put forward new preconditions, the member of the European Parliament stated that she sees no reason not to sign the agreement.

 “I see no reason to postpone the signing of a peace agreement which will bring relief and allow both countries to look at the future,’’ she said.

The MEP also expressed hope that Azerbaijan will focus on the well-being of its own citizens, and Armenia will finally feel safe from possible attacks.

“ I hope Azerbaijan will focus on the well-being of all its citizens and not on harassing a peaceful neighbor (ed. Armenia). I hope Armenia will feel safe from attacks at last,’’ Loiseau said.

Commenting on the fact that, after Armenia and Azerbaijan announced they had reached an agreement on a peace deal and concluded negotiations, Azerbaijan has periodically spread false rumors in recent days claiming that Armenian armed forces are allegedly firing at Azerbaijani positions in various parts of the border, the MEP stated, "Inflammatory rhetoric and false rumors must stop."

"The EUMA indicated that the situation at the border is normal. Peace requires as much courage as war. Only weak souls are afraid of peace,’’she concluded.

On March 13, the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that negotiations on the peace treaty had been concluded.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to begin consultations on the time and venue for signing the agreement.

 However, Azerbaijan is setting preconditions for signing the treaty. In particular, Baku insists on the false claim that Armenia’s Constitution allegedly contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, demanding constitutional amendments as a precondition for signing the agreement. 

Another Azerbaijani precondition pertains to the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group.

In parallel with these preconditions, Azerbaijan has been spreading false claims for several days, alleging that Armenian armed forces have been firing at Azerbaijani positions along various sections of the border.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1215722?fbclid=IwY2xjawJYNUhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfSW--0iVB_ms4SdPU8XzYwbBpHNsVPQmKQHuoFwHymH4TwuFz2W16d6ng_aem_hjSz1in4-7UarEymu4zhbA

[Yervant1]

Asbarez.com

 

‘The Ball is in Armenia’s Court,’ Aliyev Says, Insisting on Preconditions for Peace Treaty

by Asbarez Staff

 

 April 2, 2025

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

 

Presidents of Germany and Azerbaijan, Frank-Walter Steinmeier (l) and Ilham Aliyev hold a joint press conference in Baku on Apr. 2

 

“The ball is in Armenia’s court,” President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan declared on Wednesday, while insisting that a peace treaty with Yerevan will not be signed and reiterating his preconditions.

Aliyev insisted, during a press conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting Baku, that the OSCE Minsk Group must be dissolved and Armenia must amend its constitution before a peace deal can be signed with Armenia.

Ilham Aliyev recalled that the text of the peace agreement with Armenia has been fully agreed upon and that Azerbaijan does not put forward any additional conditions, according to the Azertac state news agency.

“Our conditions are known to Armenia, they are not new. We have been putting forward these conditions for a long time. However, we have not received any serious response from Armenia to date. What does this consist of? First, the OSCE Minsk Group must be dissolved,” Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader added that Armenia’s Constitution contains territorial claims from Azerbaijan.

“This is considered an open territorial claim against us. Therefore, the removal of this clause from the Armenian constitution is our legitimate demand,” Aliyev insisted, noting that there will be no obstacles to the deal’s signing once these two conditions are met.

“As they say, the ball is in Armenia’s court. If Armenia really wants to sign the peace treaty, it must accept these two legitimate conditions of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev emphasized.

Steinmeier, who visited Yerevan ahead of this trip to Baku, said that an agreement between Baku and Yerevan on the specific language of the peace treaty, which was announced last month, was a critical juncture in stabilizing the Caucasus region.

He said that the sides should not “waste time” and should sign the document as soon as possible.

 

 

https://asbarez.com/the-ball-is-in-armenias-court-aliyev-says-insisting-on-preconditions-for-peace-treaty/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJbDpJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUq110BlAkS9ewyH92Jg3UO3XJ4z3sPnwDAx3zn3KifWD_nZlgHt_6YMbg_aem_r7pmrq-78O8TTsUUYABikg

[Yervant1]

Azatutyun.am

 

Aliyev Warns Of ‘New Military Confrontation’ With Armenia

Ապրիլ 09, 2025

 

Azerbaijan - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev speaks at an international forum in Baku, April9, 2025.

 

Armenia will risk another war with Azerbaijan unless it enacts a new constitution demanded by Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Wednesday.

“Until a peace treaty is signed and Armenia completely renounces all territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which are still present in its constitution, and demonstrates sincerity in its behavior towards normalizing relations with Azerbaijan, the risk of a new military confrontation will always persist,” he told an international forum in Baku.

Aliyev has repeatedly made the signing of the treaty conditional on a change of the current Armenian constitution. He has specifically demanded the removal of a reference to Armenia’s 1990 declaration of independence contained in the constitution’s preamble. The declaration in turn cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian leaders maintain that the reference does not amount to territorial claims to Azerbaijan. They have also argued that the draft Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty commits the two states to recognizing each other’s territorial integrity and stipulates that they cannot refer to their domestic legislation to justify their possible failure to implement it.

While rejecting Aliyev’s precondition in public, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pledged to try to enact a new constitution through a referendum. But this is unlikely to happen before June 2026. Yerevan already made a number of concessions last month to remove the remaining disagreements on the text of the draft treaty.

Pashinian’s domestic political opponents say that Baku will not sign the deal before clinching further Armenian concessions not only on the constitution but also other key issues such as a land corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave. Aliyev renewed in January this year his threats to open such a corridor by force.

Azerbaijan began accusing Armenia of violating the ceasefire regime along the border between the two countries on a daily basis just a few days after the two sides finalized the peace treaty a month ago. Armenian opposition figures and pundits have suggested that the accusations denied by Yerevan are aimed at preparing the ground for a military attack on Armenia or forcing Pashinian to make the concessions.

Residents of two Armenian border villages have reported nightly cross-border gunfire from Azerbaijani army positions for over two weeks. According to them, Azerbaijani troops mainly fire into the air.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33378466.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJkAXFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuWCwEj9Z2aVj5S5Rcwtay6eClO4APxW1ev_pP14psrzhb2wgJ2NuzqRSfRS_aem_IvX3EqM42EmvOWcL65HwcQ

[Yervant1]

April 12 2025

 

Holy Echmiadzin To Take Action Over Anti-Armenian Event In Vatican

 April 12, 2025  

By PanARMENIAN

The Inter-Church Relations Department of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has expressed deep concern regarding an event held in Rome by Azerbaijani entities, which it says carried a clear anti-Armenian agenda.

According to the statement, Holy Etchmiadzin will take appropriate steps through interchurch channels in response to this incident.

The event, titled “Christianity in Azerbaijan: History and Modern Times,” took place on April 10 at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Vatican City. It was organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in collaboration with Azerbaijani organizations and attended by representatives from various countries.

During the event, Azerbaijani propaganda again attempted to deny the Armenian origins of the historical and cultural heritage of Armenia and Artsakh, distorting historical facts with the aim of eventual appropriation.

The Armenian church noted that this event occurred at a time when the international community has yet to properly address Azerbaijan’s acts of genocide, the violation of the fundamental rights of forcibly displaced Armenians from Artsakh, the illegal detention and mistreatment of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijani prisons, and the ongoing erasure of Armenian religious and cultural heritage in Artsakh.

“It is regrettable that such an unscientific and politically motivated event was allowed to take place within a prominent Catholic educational institution,” the statement read.

No Armenian scholarly institutions had been informed of the event, and though dozens of experts from various countries participated, no Armenian representatives were present.

https://www.eurasiareview.com/12042025-holy-echmiadzin-to-take-action-over-anti-armenian-event-in-vatican/