Pashinyan at CIS: Alma-Ata Declaration is Basis for Peace

At the regular session of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Dushanbe, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a keynote speech, presenting the foundations of the established peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the new horizons it opens not only for the two countries but also for the entire CIS region.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan gave a key place to the end of the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, noting that the legal basis for the creation of the CIS itself played a fundamental role in the peace process. "I want to state with satisfaction that after a long-standing conflict, peace has been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and a fundamental document in this process has been the founding document of the CIS, the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration," he announced.

Speaking about the peace agenda, the head of the RA referred to the summit held in Washington on August 8 at the initiative of US President Donald Trump, as a result of which a joint declaration was adopted. He quoted one of the key provisions of the document: "After a conflict that caused untold human suffering, conditions have finally been created for our peoples to begin good-neighborly relations, based on the principles of the inviolability of international borders and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the purpose of acquiring territories. This reality, which is not and should never be subject to revision, paves the way for closing the page of enmity between our two peoples. We resolutely reject and rule out any attempt at revenge now and in the future."

One of the most important parts of the speech was the section dedicated to the unblocking of regional communications and the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) project. The Prime Minister stressed that with the Washington Declaration, the parties reaffirmed the importance of opening communications based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction of states. "The TRIPP project gives Armenia the opportunity to have rail and other transport links with CIS member state Azerbaijan and other CIS member states," Pashinyan emphasized, adding that this is a significant circumstance that will contribute to the strengthening of economic ties within the CIS. "The TRIPP project opens new export and import opportunities for CIS countries as well," he announced, sending a direct message to the summit participants.

The Prime Minister informed those present that back in March, Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed on the draft "Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations," which was initialed in Washington. This document also refers to the Alma-Ata Declaration and clearly states that the borders between the former USSR republics have become the international borders of independent states.

"This means that both countries recognize that the territory of the Republic of Armenia is identical to the territory of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, and the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan is identical to the territory of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, and the borders encompassing those territories are inviolable," the RA Prime Minister clarified.

As a tangible result already achieved, he mentioned the regulation "On the Joint Activities of the Border Delimitation Commissions of the Two Countries," signed and ratified in 2024, on the basis of which a 12-kilometer section of the state border has already been delimited, again based on the Alma-Ata Declaration.

Concluding his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that although peace does not mean the exhaustion of all agenda items, it creates a solid foundation for their gradual resolution. He congratulated not only Armenia and Azerbaijan on the establishment of peace but also all CIS member states. "Peace is now a reality, and I congratulate all of us on this occasion and thank our CIS partners for their support during this process," Nikol Pashinyan concluded.