Azerbaijan Links Final Peace with Armenia to Constitutional Reform and a U.S.-Backed Transit Corridor

Azerbaijan says the two South Caucasus neighbours are already experiencing “real peace,” but it will not sign a final treaty until Armenia removes constitutional language it views as a territorial claim. The pre-amble of Armenia’s constitution references a Soviet-era declaration supporting the reunification of Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, a region internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Baku insists that the wording be eliminated through a new constitution or another legal mechanism before a comprehensive agreement can be concluded.

Azerbaijan Says Peace With Armenia Depends on Constitutional ChangesThe Straits Times

The mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh was under de facto Armenian administration for three decades after the first post-Soviet war in the early 1990s. In a rapid 2023 offensive, Azerbaijan reclaimed the territory, prompting the flight of roughly 100,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia. A U.S.-mediated framework reached in August 2025 laid the groundwork for the current de-escalation and the reopening of trade links.

Azerbaijan Says Peace With Armenia Depends on Constitutional Changes

Azerbaijani foreign-policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev, who assists President Ilham Aliyev, highlighted growing oil-product shipments to Armenia as evidence of tangible peace benefits. He also noted “serious and positive signals” from the United States that construction of the Washington-backed transport corridor—dubbed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)—could start this autumn, with Azerbaijani infrastructure slated for completion by the end of 2026.

The Straits Times

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pledged to draft a new constitution and aims to hold a referendum, but his Civil Contract party lacks the parliamentary majority required to trigger the vote. Opposition parties, many aligned with Russia, have not indicated support for the reforms, creating uncertainty over whether the constitutional change can be achieved.

The Straits Times

• “We are living in conditions of real peace. For Azerbaijan and Armenia, peace is not just something written on paper or contained in a declaration — it is a reality,” — Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to President Ilham Aliyev, Head of Foreign Policy Department

The Straits Times

• “What is important for Azerbaijan is that the provisions we regard as territorial claims against our country are formally removed, whether through the adoption of a new constitution or another legal mechanism.” — Hikmet Hajiyev

The Straits Times

• “Our position is that this (TRIPP) should be implemented as soon as possible,” — Hikmet Hajiyev

The Straits Times

• “According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan is not prescribing how Armenia should address the issue, but insists that any language viewed as questioning Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be formally removed before a comprehensive peace agreement can be signed.” — Hikmet Hajiyev

Azerbaijan Says Peace With Armenia Depends on Constitutional Changes