Armenia and Azerbaijan: Disparate Views on the Path to Peace Amidst Constitutional Debates and Route Control Disputes

The recent peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, following a joint declaration signed in Washington on 8 August 2025, continues to be marked by diverging interpretations from the leaders of both nations, particularly regarding constitutional changes and the control of a key transport route.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated on 28 August 2025 that while peace has been established, it does not mean an absence of questions or disagreements between the parties. He likened these disagreements to those found even in relations with friendly countries, emphasizing that state-to-state relations are a dynamic process. Pashinyan also highlighted that peace requires constant care and should increasingly take on an institutional character. The joint declaration signed in Washington, with the participation of US President Donald Trump, involved the initialling (paraflayıb) of a previously agreed text for a peace agreement and the restoration of relations, with both sides pledging efforts for its final ratification.

In contrast, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, speaking on 27 August 2025, described the agreement reached with Armenia as a historic turning point, signifying the end of the conflict period in the South Caucasus. He recalled the occupation of approximately 20% of Azerbaijani territory in the 1990s and the subsequent 44-day Second Karabakh War, which he stated restored justice and international law. Aliyev asserted that Azerbaijan initiated the peace process after the war, proposing a draft peace agreement and a negotiation format.

Aliyev's primary condition for the formal signing of a peace agreement is the removal of provisions in the Armenian constitution that still question Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. He expressed confidence that Armenia would amend this provision and that a formal peace agreement would be signed once these claims are eliminated from their constitution. Aliyev warned that if any future Armenian government were to question the Washington document, Armenia would face "serious difficulties," given that the regional power balance is "completely in our favour".

However, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan countered on 28 August 2025, stating that Armenia has not undertaken any obligation to change its Constitution within the framework of agreements with Azerbaijan. Mirzoyan clarified that the topic of the Constitution was not discussed in Washington, despite previous statements from the Azerbaijani side. He added that Armenia also identifies problems in Azerbaijan's Constitution but believes that a peace agreement can resolve these issues without requiring constitutional changes in either country. Mirzoyan noted that discussions about changing Armenia's Constitution have been ongoing since 2018, with the only recent addition being a reference to a Declaration. Azerbaijan's demand concerns the removal of a preamble in the Armenian Constitution that refers to the 1990 independence declaration, which in turn references a 1989 act of unification between Soviet Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region. Achieving this would legally require a new constitution via a referendum, possibly coinciding with the next parliamentary elections in June 2026. Opposition groups in Armenia have vowed to mobilise to reject a new constitution.

Another point of contention is the control over the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), a connectivity project mentioned in the Washington declaration, intended to link Azerbaijan's main territory with Nakhchivan through Armenia. Mirzoyan categorically stated that the US would not control this "Trump Route" and that its control falls under the functions of the Republic of Armenia. He dismissed claims of the territory being leased to the US for 99 years as having "no connection with reality for now".

In contrast, Aliyev stated that security guarantees for what Azerbaijan refers to as the "Zangezur corridor" should be provided by a third country, not solely Armenia. He emphasized the need for "strong international security guarantees" for Azerbaijani citizens to safely travel the 40-kilometre route, asserting that guarantees from Armenia alone are insufficient. Aliyev claimed that the Trump administration accepted this "legitimate concern," leading to the TRIPP initiative. US President Donald Trump, in a joint press conference, reportedly stated that Armenia had agreed to lease the route to the US for 99 years.

The broader implications of the Washington agreement include Azerbaijan's view that it ends over 30 years of war and opens new opportunities for the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Aliyev also noted that the initialling of the document was supported by the US, EU, Turkey, and Arab countries, implying that violating the agreement would be "going against the whole world". Meanwhile, Russia has indicated it will not obstruct the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group by December 2025, acknowledging that Azerbaijan and Armenia had signed an appeal to the OSCE to disband the group.