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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he expects business ties with Azerbaijan to emerge soon, describing economic engagement as key to consolidating peace between the two countries.
Speaking while presenting his ruling Civil Contract party’s 2026 election programme, Pashinyan said the “institutionalisation of peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan was already under way and had developed a formal legal basis.
He pointed to progress since 2024, including the delimitation and demarcation of sections of the state border in Armenia’s Tavush region, as well as the signing and ratification of regulations governing the joint work of Armenian and Azerbaijani border commissions.
Those agreements, he said, enshrine the Alma-Ata Declaration as the guiding principle for border delimitation, meaning both sides recognise each other’s territories along the borders of their former Soviet republics.
Pashinyan also highlighted developments in 2025, including the initialling of a bilateral peace agreement and the Washington Declaration, which set out principles for normalisation and the reopening of regional transport routes.
Looking ahead, he outlined steps to deepen the peace process.
These include continuing border delimitation, implementing transport connectivity initiatives under the so-called TRIPP framework agreed with the United States in January 2026, and finalising and ratifying the peace agreement between the two countries.
Beyond formal agreements, Pashinyan stressed the importance of broader engagement between societies.
“Contacts between civil society and business community representatives, bilateral trade, and political, cultural, and humanitarian dialogue are important tools for institutionalising peace,” he said.
He added that some of these processes were already taking shape, noting early signs of limited trade and growing civil society interaction.
“I hope and am convinced that business ties will also be established in the near future, which is one of the key means and tools for institutionalising peace,” Pashinyan said.
Azerbaijani officials have also emphasised the economic and strategic benefits of normalising ties, arguing that a final peace agreement would unlock regional trade routes and boost connectivity across the South Caucasus.
Baku has prioritised the unblocking of transport links, including routes connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, as part of wider internationally backed initiatives.
Signs of normalisation have already emerged, with Azerbaijan resuming limited fuel shipments to Armenia after decades, signalling progress towards economic co-operation.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday. Â
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan. Â
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Kazakhstan secured agreements and investment commitments worth $12 billion during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's official visit to Brussels on 22–23 June, underlining the growing economic importance of ties between the European Union and Central Asia's largest economy.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker said on Wednesday regional countries alone should determine the Middle East’s political and security order, rejecting external involvement and calling for expanded intra-regional cooperation.
The United Nations Public Service Forum has opened in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the first time, bringing together 420 participants from nearly 100 countries to discuss public sector governance, digital transformation and citizen-centred service delivery.
Turkish authorities detained 209 people in anti-terrorism operations on Tuesday, prosecutors said, a day after Ankara imposed restrictions on public gatherings ahead of next month's NATO summit.
Oman has announced measures to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, confirming it will maintain free passage and impose no tolls as efforts continue to restore navigation through the strategic waterway.
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