No obstacles remain to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, says MP

PanARMENIAN.Net - Sargis Khandanyan, Chair of the Armenian Parliament's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and head of Armenia’s delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, emphasized that the peace agenda should not be burdened with new issues or preconditions. He made the statement during the political and security committee session at the OSCE PA’s 32nd annual meeting.

Khandanyan said there are no longer any obstacles to signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan.

“Earlier this year, Armenia and Azerbaijan announced that the text of the peace treaty is ready. Armenia has proposed starting discussions on the date and venue for signing. I agree that we must seize this opportunity to sign and ratify the agreement, as your resolution and my Azerbaijani colleague just emphasized,” he said.

“Armenia has repeatedly declared its readiness to sign the peace treaty as soon as possible and normalize inter-state relations. Armenia is ready to sign it today. Armenia was ready to sign it yesterday. There are no more obstacles—let me repeat, no more obstacles.”

He stressed that the peace agenda should not be overloaded with new topics or preconditions. The treaty, he said, can serve as a solid foundation for continued dialogue and normalized relations.

“Of course, open issues remain. After three decades of conflict, we need to build trust. I believe institutionalizing our relations through signing and ratifying the treaty is the most crucial step toward trust and dialogue,” he added.

Khandanyan stated that amid global geopolitical instability and as the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act is marked, success stories are needed—one of which could be peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He further emphasized that achieving peace in the current climate could serve as a positive example for the OSCE region, especially given mounting geopolitical tensions and urgent regional development needs.

On March 13, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced it had accepted Azerbaijan’s proposals regarding two previously unresolved articles, declaring the treaty ready for signing. Armenia said it is ready to begin consultations on signing logistics. Baku, however, introduced new preconditions and claimed it was too early to discuss signing dates.

The draft agreement contains 17 articles, with 15 previously agreed upon. The remaining two involve renouncing international claims against each other and prohibiting third-party presence at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.