Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued the following statement in response to premature reports of a “peace” deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The ANCA seeks a real peace – a just and enduring peace that respects the rights of the Armenian nation and ensures the return of Armenians to Artsakh – not a fake ‘peace’ – a one-sided surrender of Armenian security and sovereignty forced on Yerevan at the point of a gun,” stated Hamparian.
According to press reports, Armenia and Azerbaijan have announced that negotiations on a peace agreement have concluded, with both governments signaling readiness to sign a still-undisclosed deal. According to statements from Armenian and Azerbaijani officials, the agreement aims to formalize relations between the two countries despite Azerbaijan’s genocidal actions, illegal detention and torture of Armenian prisoners, ongoing existential threats against Armenia, demands for changes to Armenia’s Constitution, and obstruction of the collective, protected, and dignified return of Armenians to Artsakh. Following the Turkey and Azerbaijan war waged against the Republics of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia in 2020, Azerbaijan implemented a 10-month brutal blockade leading to the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, with 120,000 Armenian Christians forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes following attacks in September 2023.
In a statement widely viewed as premature, given the many obstacles to a just and enduring peace, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted:
“The United States commends Armenia and Azerbaijan for concluding negotiations on a historic peace treaty. This is an opportunity for both countries to turn the page on a decades-old conflict in line with President Trump’s vision for a more peaceful world. Now is the time to commit to peace, sign and ratify the treaty, and usher in a new era of prosperity for the people of the South Caucasus.”
The ANCA continues to advocate for a peace that adds to Armenia’s security and sovereignty, safeguards its Constitutional integrity, and ensures the right of return for Artsakh’s forcibly displaced Armenians to their historic Artsakh homeland.
