The Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process Through 2026

103. The Question of Borders and Territorial Integrity

Following Azerbaijan's restoration of control over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, diplomatic negotiations increasingly focused on interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Major questions included the delimitation and demarcation of the border, recognition of territorial integrity, transportation links, security guarantees, and the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Armenia's government emphasized the importance of preserving the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Republic of Armenia over its internationally recognized territory.

Azerbaijan sought guarantees concerning territorial claims and reliable transportation access to Nakhichevan.

These questions remained politically sensitive in both countries.

104. Border Delimitation in 2024

In 2024, Armenia and Azerbaijan advanced negotiations concerning sections of their interstate border.

The process included agreements affecting several villages and border areas in northern Armenia.

The Armenian government presented the arrangements as steps toward establishing a legally defined and internationally recognized frontier.

Critics raised concerns about local security, transportation, and the consequences for communities living near the border.

The delimitation process demonstrated the difficulty of converting Soviet-era administrative boundaries into a fully agreed international frontier.

105. The Washington Peace Summit of August 2025

On August 8, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Washington, D.C., with United States President Donald Trump.

The meeting produced a joint declaration and the initialing of a draft agreement on peace and interstate relations.

The proposed agreement addressed principles including sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-use of force, and the establishment of peaceful relations.

The agreement's initialing was an important diplomatic development, but it was not equivalent to final ratification or the completion of all implementation measures.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministries published the initialed agreement in August 2025.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia+1

106. Developments in 2026

By 2026, Armenia's independence was increasingly discussed in connection with the establishment of lasting peace and the preservation of internationally recognized borders.

The governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States issued a joint statement in August 2026 marking the first anniversary of the Washington summit.

The statement emphasized progress toward regional peace and cooperation.

Nevertheless, unresolved issues remained concerning the formal completion and implementation of the peace agreement, transportation arrangements, constitutional questions, and the long-term security environment.

As of November 2026, the initialed agreement and subsequent diplomatic progress should not be confused with a fully implemented settlement of every outstanding dispute.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia+1