Armenia: Ready to Conclude a Peace Agreement if Azerbaijan Shows Political Will

A senior Armenian official stated today, Saturday, that his country is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan if Baku demonstrates the same political will as Armenia does, adding that it is also keen to make progress in normalizing relations with Turkey. Yerevan and Baku expressed their desire in December to reach a peace agreement after decades of disputes, but no agreement has been concluded between them so far. The major divisive issues between the two parties relate to the Nagorno-Karabakh region in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani forces regained control of the mountainous area after years of Armenian-led control. Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan stated that his country has the political will to normalize relations with Azerbaijan based on principles previously agreed upon by both sides. He added in an interview with Reuters during the Antalya Diplomatic Forum in Turkey, "This is a matter of leadership and political will." He noted that his country has shown the necessary political will on several occasions, including during talks that took place yesterday between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey. Turkey has strengthened its political and military relations with Azerbaijan in recent years, but is currently working to restore relations with Armenia after decades of hostility between them.