Yerevan submits peace proposal to Baku to end decades-long dispute

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Feb 11:38
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The peace proposal aims to normalize relations between the neighboring nations.

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (Reuters)

Armenia delivered a peace proposal to Azerbaijan on Wednesday that aims to end the decades-long dispute between the neighboring nations and normalize bilateral relations.

"Armenia completed the next stage of work on a peace treaty and the establishment of relations with Azerbaijan yesterday, and our proposals were submitted to the Azerbaijani side," said the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday, adding that the document was also handed over to co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group: Russian ambassador Igor Khovaev; Brice Roquefeuil of France, and Andrew Schofer of the US.

Pashinyan also confirmed that negotiations with Azerbaijan are witnessing progress.

On January 31, Azerbaijan asked the United Nation's top court to order Armenia to stop laying landmines, in a fresh legal battle over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The complaint by Baku came a day after Yerevan complained to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague about alleged "ethnic cleansing" by Azerbaijan.

Over the past 30 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars, with the latter working to gain control over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is largely Armenian territory.

In the 2020 conflict, which lasted for 6 weeks, over 6,500 troops died from both sides, and it ended with a Russia-mediated ceasefire. Russia sent 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the truce, but tensions remained despite a ceasefire deal.

It's noteworthy that this step comes as relations between Ankara and Yerevan witnessed positive developments in the last few days after Armenia provided humanitarian aid to quake-struck Turkey and sent teams to take part in rescue missions in the impacted regions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Wednesday that he discussed with his Armenian counterpart the required steps to proceed with normalizing the relations between both countries and the means to accelerate the process.

Turkey's top diplomat also thanked Armenia for its position during the difficult period that his country is going through following the devastating earthquake.