Yerevan: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Wednesday declared his readiness to sign the draft of a peace deal agreed upon between his country and neighboring Azerbaijan. Pashinyan's announcement signifies a major step towards ending the long-standing conflict and establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations.

According to Anadolu Agency, both Azerbaijan and Armenia separately announced an agreement on the draft of a peace deal last Thursday. This draft aims to resolve decades of tension following Armenia's occupation of Karabakh in 1991, a territory acknowledged internationally as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent regions.

A significant portion of the disputed territory was reclaimed by Azerbaijan during a 44-day conflict in the fall of 2020. This war concluded with a Russian-brokered peace agreement, which facilitated subsequent normalization and demarcation discussions.

The situation took another turn in September 2023 when Azerbaijan asserted full sovereignty over Karabakh after the surrender of separatist forces in the region. This development has paved the way for the current draft peace agreement, indicating potential progress in diplomatic relations between the two former Soviet republics.