I sincerely welcome the initialing of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington. This document paves the way for a final resolution to the long-standing conflict between the two countries. Both nations have been members of the Council of Europe since 2001, and this step represents a historic milestone toward lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

Axar.az reports that these remarks were made by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, in a statement.

The Secretary General emphasized that regional stability is vital not only for Armenia and Azerbaijan but also for all peoples, including neighboring Georgia, in terms of prosperity and security:

"When both countries announced the finalization of the draft ‘Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations’ agreement in March, this progress particularly inspired me. Since then, this topic has been central in my ongoing discussions with leaders. I first discussed this issue with President Ilham Aliyev last year during the COP event in Baku. It was also on the agenda during our bilateral meeting at the Diplomacy Forum in Antalya this April. In May, at the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, I personally conveyed my message of support for peace to President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and most recently, I reiterated it during my official visit to Yerevan in July."