Armenian Parliament adopts statement on Azerbaijan peace deal amid opposition boycott
Armenia’s Parliament has adopted a statement endorsing the 8 August Washington peace declaration between Armenia and Azerbaijan, despite a boycott by opposition factions who accused the government of undermining the country’s security interests.
The resolution, drafted by the ruling Civil Contract party, passed with 64 votes in favour, zero against, and two abstentions.
Opposition lawmakers from the Armenia and I Have Honour blocs had earlier announced they would not participate in the session, calling the initiative ‘detached from reality’ and warning that it fails to address core national security concerns.
Introducing the bill, Civil Contract’s parliamentary leader Hayk Konjoryan said the statement was designed to formally recognise the 8 August trilateral declaration signed in Washington by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
'Peace has been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan’, Konjoryan declared, insisting that parliament had a responsibility to reflect that reality and support the consolidation of peace.
The statement stresses support for the opening of transit links between the two countries ‘on the basis of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction’, including providing Azerbaijan with unimpeded access to Nakhchivan through Armenian territory. It also highlights plans for cooperation with the US and other third parties to implement the Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) infrastructure initiative in Armenia.
Nate Ostiller
Parliament further thanked Trump for what it called his 'invaluable contribution' to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Opposition parties sharply criticised the move and refused to take part in the vote. The I Have Honour faction described the statement as ‘strange’ given that Azerbaijan continues to ‘speak from a position of force’ and brand Armenia as an aggressor. The Armenia bloc said the document ‘has nothing to do with real peace’ and fails to meet even the minimum political, legal, and security requirements necessary for Armenia’s survival.
The vote and the peace deal with Azerbaijan comes as Armenia heads toward parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026.
The Armenian opposition has described the peace deal as yet another concession by the Pashinyan government to Azerbaijan, following the country’s defeat in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 and Azerbaijan’s military takeover of Nagorno-Karbakah three years later. The ruling party, however, presents the Washington agreement as a breakthrough in Armenia’s history and promises to kickstart the ‘Fourth Armenian Republic’ if trusted by the people in the next elections.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
