Armenia and Azerbaijan have officially completed a peace agreement text aimed at ending decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
On Thursday, officials from both nations confirmed they had finalized the document, marking a major breakthrough in the long-stalled peace process.
This agreement offers hope for a lasting resolution to a conflict that has fueled wars and hostilities between the two South Caucasus states since the late 1980s.
Roots of the Nagorno-Karabakh Dispute
Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked and mountainous region, was internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but had a predominantly ethnic Armenian population.
Armenia supported the region politically, financially, and militarily, allowing it to function as a de facto Armenian territory despite its official status within Azerbaijan.
For decades, tensions simmered, with intermittent violence escalating into full-scale wars, including the 2020 conflict that reshaped the balance of power in the region.
Azerbaijan Gains Control as Armenian Forces Retreat
After years of ceasefires interrupted by clashes, Azerbaijani troops launched a rapid offensive in September 2023, seizing control of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Backed by Turkish drones and military support, Azerbaijan overwhelmed Armenian forces in a short but decisive battle.
Most ethnic Armenians fled the region, and on January 1, 2024, the self-proclaimed “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” formally ceased to exist.