Following the signing of the trilateral statement on 10 November 2020, which ended the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Azerbaijan initiated the normalization of relations with Armenia on the basis of the norms and principles of international law.
As a continuation of this initiative, in February 2022 the Azerbaijani side presented to the Armenian side the basic principles for the agreement that could form the foundation of inter-state relations between the two countries.
Simultaneously, the initiative to carry out the delimitation of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been put forward, and the process of opening communications between the two countries - as the third direction of the normalization process – has commenced.
In 2021-2023 negotiations on bilateral draft agreement started between the parties, both countries established border delimitation commissions, and the meetings between them took place. Additionally, a working group, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, was formed to address the opening of transport communications, which held series of discussions on this matter.
Despite ongoing negotiations in various platforms, concrete results have yet to materialize in all three tracks of the normalization process.
The primary impediment to the normalization process in 2020-2023 stemmed from Armenia’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the trilateral statement of 10 November 2020. Particularly, Armenia did not fully withdraw its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, and instead, provided direct support to the illegal separatist regime it had installed within Azerbaijan, encompassing political, diplomatic, military-technical and financial assistance.
A pivotal shift occurred after Azerbaijan’s local anti-terror measures on 19-20 September 2023, compelling Armenia to disarm and withdraw its illegal forces, and driving its illegal regime within Azerbaijani territory to disband itself. This process concluded with full restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan over its Garabagh region.
The elimination of this major obstacle to the normalization process has opened a historic opportunity for both countries to establish relations based on mutual recognition of and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Currently, the process of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues on bilateral basis.
As the initiator of the normalization process with Armenia, Azerbaijan remains committed to advancing this process, and undertaking consistent and resolute steps in this direction.
Information on the timeline of the normalization process can be accessed through this link.