It became clear that during peace talks hosted by the United States, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan had made progress toward a possible peace. Peace in the immediate vicinity of Europe is more possible than ever and depends on Armenia's decision to follow the path of peace.
Peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place last week in Washington, United States, may bring the long-awaited peace to the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan proposed a peace plan immediately after the 44-day war in the fall of 2020, presenting a proposal for the normalization of relations with Armenia consisting of 5 points based on generally accepted principles of international law. Negotiations on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, conducted with the mediation of the EU, achieved significant results, among which, in the first place, the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan by Armenia in October 2022 in Prague.
Hoping to buy time, Armenia delayed the peace process due to its mistaken belief that the terms of an armistice would not be in its favor. But if Armenia takes a proper look at the situation, it will find that it is the country that would benefit most from peace with Azerbaijan. In fact, Armenia will have to renounce its illegal claims to the sovereign territories of its neighboring country and make legal commitments not to make such claims in the future.
The illegal occupation of the Azerbaijani territories for 3 decades did not provide an advantage for Armenia, on the contrary, it even led de facto to the loss of its state independence. If peace is not established, Armenia will continue to be isolated and will have to miss out on the obvious economic benefits of this peace. While peace and an integrated South Caucasian region with open communications, access to new markets, increased foreign direct investment, and subsequent economic prosperity would greatly benefit impoverished Armenia and its people.
It became clear that during peace talks hosted by the United States, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan had made progress toward a possible peace. Peace in the immediate vicinity of Europe is more possible than ever and depends on Armenia's decision to follow the path of peace.