Armenia and Azerbaijan Reach Agreement on POW Exchange and Peace Treaty

 

Armenia and Azerbaijan jointly announced a breakthrough agreement to exchange prisoners of war and actively pursue a peace treaty, marking a significant stride towards stability in the historically troubled region. The European Union hailed the accord as a major step toward achieving lasting peace.

In a joint statement, the two nations expressed a shared belief in a "historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace" and outlined their commitment to normalizing relations and establishing a peace treaty based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Azerbaijan's swift military campaign in September, targeting the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, ended three decades of ethnic Armenian rule and led to the displacement of the majority of the region's 120,000 residents. Prior to this agreement, the two countries had faced ongoing disputes over the framework for a peace process amid deep-seated mutual distrust.

As part of the accord, Armenia agreed to withdraw its objections to Azerbaijan hosting the 2024 international conference on climate change, a point of contention that had hindered previous negotiations. The joint statement revealed Armenia's support for Azerbaijan's bid to host the 29th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

European Council President Charles Michel praised the agreement, emphasizing the significance of releasing detainees and fostering an "unprecedented opening in political dialogue." He urged both Armenia and Azerbaijan to finalize a peace deal promptly.

The U.S. government also welcomed the agreement, recognizing the exchange of POWs as an "important confidence-building measure" as both sides work towards a comprehensive peace agreement and normalization of relations.

In their joint statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan announced the release of 32 captured Armenian military servicemen by Azerbaijan, reciprocated by Armenia's release of two Azerbaijani soldiers. The countries committed to further discussions on implementing additional confidence-building measures and called on the international community for support in building mutual trust.