Pashinyan proposed signing a peace treaty in New York before COP 29

Recent speeches by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the United Nations have sparked a strong reaction at home and a restrained response in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the Summit of the Future during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Pashinyan moved away from the traditionally hostile rhetoric towards Turkey and Azerbaijan, which is common among Armenian politicians. Notably, he refrained from mentioning the Karabakh Armenians, instead focusing on the broader theme of global peace and development.

In Yerevan, critics labeled Pashinyan’s speech as "a sermon by the leader of a sectarian movement," expressing outrage at what they viewed as a conciliatory tone. Political opponents of the prime minister perceived his approach as a betrayal of the nationalist sentiments that have dominated Armenia’s discourse in the region.

In a follow-up discussion on "Leadership for Peace," Pashinyan reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to ending the conflict with Azerbaijan. He urged countries to abandon aggression and human rights violations, emphasizing that Armenia is "ready to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan." He also proposed signing the already agreed-upon sections of the peace treaty before COP29, a global climate conference set to be held in Baku. Pashinyan expressed optimism about the ongoing border delimitation process, referring to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991 as a basis for peace.

Baku’s response remains cautiously reserved. While Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official statement, President Ilham Aliyev has previously expressed skepticism about Armenia’s intentions. In his speech at the first session of the newly elected Milli Majlis, Aliyev underscored Azerbaijan’s priority to strengthen its military capabilities, indicating deep distrust of Armenia’s peace initiatives. Aliyev’s government insists on removing anti-Azerbaijani clauses from Armenia’s constitution as a precondition for any meaningful peace talks.