The full text of the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, initialled in Washington on August 8, outlines comprehensive commitments to end decades of conflict, recognise borders, and establish formal diplomatic relations. 

The accord, published by both sides, is described by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as “a solid foundation for establishing a reliable and lasting peace, expressing the balanced interests of the two countries”, according to his Facebook page.

The treaty confirms that the former Soviet republican borders are the recognised international frontiers of the independent states, with both sides pledging to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence, and to renounce any present or future territorial claims. It explicitly prohibits the use or threat of force and bars either side from allowing their territory to be used by a third party to attack the other.

Azerbaijani diplomatic sources told APA that the latter provision carries special weight given the presence of foreign military personnel in Armenia but not in Azerbaijan. In this context, Article 7 — banning the deployment of any third-party forces along the mutual border — required lengthy negotiations. According to the same sources, this clause commits Armenia to terminate the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMA) currently deployed on its side of the frontier.

Under the agreement, both sides will establish diplomatic relations within a set period after ratification and will instruct their border commissions to conclude a delimitation and demarcation accord. Security and confidence-building measures will be applied pending the completion of that process.

The treaty also includes provisions to combat intolerance, extremism and terrorism; to address missing persons and enforced disappearances from the conflict years, including returning remains and ensuring justice; and to conclude further agreements in economic, transit, environmental, humanitarian,and cultural spheres.

Importantly, Article 15 obliges both sides to withdraw or dismiss all interstate claims, complaints, and legal proceedings related to past disputes within one month of the treaty’s entry into force, and to refrain from supporting hostile actions in diplomatic, informational, or other fields. Disputes over the agreement’s interpretation are to be resolved through direct consultations or other peaceful means.

In parallel to the peace treaty, the foreign ministers of both countries jointly petitioned the OSCE chair-in-office to close the OSCE Minsk Process and its related structures, including the High-Level Planning Group and the personal representative mechanism. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry confirmed to APA that a draft decision to that effect has been circulated among OSCE participating states, with both sides urging members to support the necessary procedures.

Following the Washington summit, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas congratulated both sides on the joint declaration, the initialling of the peace treaty, and the decision to end the Minsk Process. She told Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov by phone that “these agreements are of great significance for ensuring peace and stability in the region” and reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to support the process.

The agreement has also been linked to potential regional breakthroughs. A Turkish diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that while there are no fixed dates for opening the Turkish-Armenian border, “the process of normalising relations between Turkey and Armenia will proceed in parallel with the peace process between Baku and Yerevan”, adding that “the entire region will benefit” from its implementation.

The treaty will enter into force once both parliaments complete ratification procedures and exchange notifications. According to its terms, the authentic texts are in Azerbaijani, Armenian and English, with the English version prevailing in case of divergence.