Azerbaijan calls on Armenia to avoid ‘unnecessary delays’ in peace talks

Azerbaijan on Tuesday called on Armenia to avoid any “unnecessary delays” in peace talks between the two countries.

“It took Armenia almost two and a half months to respond to Azerbaijan’s proposals on the draft peace agreement, which has seriously delayed the process,” said an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry statement.

“This stagnation in the peace negotiations does not contribute to stability and prosperity in the region,” it added.

The statement reiterated Azerbaijan’s readiness to hold talks with Armenia to finalize a peace agreement between both countries “as soon as possible.”

“Responsibility for the continuation of the peace process, including the selection of a mutually acceptable venue, or a decision to meet at the state border, belongs to the two countries,” it said.

Earlier in the day, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced on X that Yerevan submitted a sixth proposal to Azerbaijan for a peace agreement.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement, and also opened the door to normalization.

This September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order in the region, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty in the region, has reiterated its request to the Armenian population in Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijani society.