Azerbaijan Urges Armenia to Finalize Peace Treaty
Analyst calls for completion of agreement as Armenia weighs potential timelines for signing by 2031.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in International Relations
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Azerbaijani analyst Azer Garayev is calling for Armenia to finalize a long-standing peace treaty with Azerbaijan to secure regional stability. This push follows conflicting suggestions from Armenian officials regarding when the final agreement could be signed and ratified.
Why it matters
Azerbaijan maintains that Armenia must amend its Constitution to remove territorial claims before a deal can be signed, arguing these references pose long-term risks to sovereignty. Normalization is viewed as a critical step for Armenia to end its regional isolation and access vital economic links.
Official proposals from Armenia have suggested a potential signing window between 2027 and 2031, though current negotiations remain subject to constitutional requirements. The text of the peace agreement was initialed in Washington in August 2025.
The players
Azer Garayev
He is an Azerbaijani analyst who has publicly advocated for the immediate finalization of the peace treaty with Armenia.
Nikol Pashinyan
He is the Prime Minister of Armenia who has provided shifting timelines regarding the ratification and signing of the peace agreement.
The details
Azerbaijan requires the explicit removal of constitutional provisions containing historical claims against its territory as a condition for signing the treaty. While both nations initialed a draft agreement in 2025, the path toward a final, ratified document depends on Armenia navigating these internal constitutional hurdles.
Timeline
March 13, 2025: Azerbaijan announced the conclusion of negotiations on the peace treaty text.
August 8, 2025: Leaders from Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the agreement text in Washington.
October 15, 2026: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan suggested signing and ratifying the deal by 2031.
October 22, 2026: Pashinyan proposed an alternative potential signing timeline between 2027 and 2028.
Political Context
The current peace process hinges on the Constitution of Armenia, which Baku argues contains outdated territorial claims that must be amended. Opposition to these changes often centers on concerns regarding national sovereignty and the political stability of the Armenian government.
The signing of a peace treaty is projected to create the necessary conditions for the expansion of economic relations across the South Caucasus. For residents in the region, this would signify a shift toward utilizing integrated economic and transport links that have been stalled for years.
The takeaway
Finalizing the treaty is expected to help Armenia secure a more stable future by transitioning away from regional isolation. Readers should monitor upcoming legislative sessions in Armenia for any formal steps to amend the constitutional provisions identified as barriers by Azerbaijan.
Further reading
For more on diplomatic developments, visit the International Relations section.
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Does extending the timeline of peace negotiations generally decrease the likelihood of reaching a stable agreement?
