Armenia vows to normalise ties with Azerbaijan and Türkiye

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said Yerevan remains committed to normalising relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, expressing confidence that decades of regional hostility will eventually give way to lasting stability.

Speaking to local media on Monday, Pashinyan said Armenia remained determined to improve relations with its neighbours despite longstanding political and territorial disputes.

“We will achieve normalisation of relations with both Azerbaijan and Türkiye,” Pashinyan said, according to local media reports.

His remarks come amid ongoing talks between Baku and Yerevan following years of conflict over the Garabakh region, which has long been internationally recognised as Azerbaijani territory.

Decades-long process

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks have been accompanied by a separate normalisation effort between Armenia and Türkiye, where bilateral relations have remained strained for more than three decades.

The two countries have never established formal diplomatic relations since Armenia declared independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 1993, Türkiye closed its border with Armenia in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the First Garabakh War. Since then, repeated efforts to normalise relations and reopen the border have failed to achieve a lasting breakthrough.

A landmark set of agreements signed in Switzerland in 2009, known as the Zürich Protocols, sought to establish diplomatic relations and reopen the border.

However, the accords were never ratified and ultimately collapsed amid domestic opposition in both countries.

Renewed diplomatic momentum

In 2021, a renewed normalisation process was launched following the Second Garabagh War, with Ankara and Yerevan appointing special envoys and engaging in direct talks.

Since then, the two sides have agreed to resume commercial charter flights and open the border to third-country nationals, although full implementation remains pending.

Türkiye has consistently linked broader normalisation with Armenia to progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

Momentum towards reconciliation increased after Azerbaijan regained full control of Garabagh in 2023, reshaping regional dynamics and removing one of the main obstacles to normalisation.

Tags

News Armenia Türkiye Azerbaijan Diplomacy