Baku voices preconditions for peace deal with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - During the 134th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, held in Luxembourg on May 13–14, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov reiterated Baku’s preconditions for signing a peace agreement with Armenia.

According to RIA Novosti, Mammadov once again emphasized the need for Armenia to amend its Constitution “to eliminate any claims on Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and to formally dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures, labeling them outdated and ineffective.

“In March of this year, we finalized the text of the peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan. Now, the key condition for signing the treaty is making constitutional changes in Armenia to remove any territorial claims against Azerbaijan and to officially dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group and its related bodies. Azerbaijan is ready to continue bilateral dialogue on this and other issues related to normalizing relations between the two countries,” said Mammadov.

He also criticized the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly for not confirming the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation in January 2024. He called the decision “legally unfounded and contrary to the principle of equal participation of all member states in the Council’s two statutory bodies,” referencing a 2019 decision by the Committee of Ministers.

“It is necessary to resolve the situation as quickly as possible to ensure Azerbaijan’s unquestionable participation in the Assembly, which should serve as a platform for inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation,” the deputy minister emphasized.

On March 13, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry stated that it had accepted Azerbaijan’s proposals on the two unresolved articles of the peace agreement and that the agreement was ready to be signed. Yerevan expressed readiness to begin consultations on the timing and venue of the signing. Baku later introduced new preconditions and declared it was premature to discuss dates.