Turkish Press: Armenia constitution change can secure peace with Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
Daily Sabah, Turkey
July 16, 2026

Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to lasting peace after decades of conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official said, though Baku insists Armenia amend its constitution before signing a final agreement.

The South Caucasus neighbors fought intermittently since the late 1980s, mostly over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region, before reaching a preliminary U.S.-brokered peace agreement last August.

Azerbaijan’s main sticking point for a formal deal is Armenia’s constitution, whose preamble references a Soviet-era document calling for the reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, then an autonomous region of Soviet Azerbaijan.

It was illegally occupied by an ethnically Armenian administration for three decades before Azerbaijan reclaimed it through a military operation in 2023.

A lasting peace could reopen trade and transport links across the South Caucasus, strengthening connections between Asia and Europe while reshaping the regional influence of Russia, Türkiye and Iran.

In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a forum in Shusha this week, Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s president and head of the president’s foreign policy department, praised the countries’ progress toward peace, including growing direct contacts and bilateral trade.

“We are living in conditions of real peace,” he said. “For Azerbaijan and Armenia, peace is not just something written on paper or contained in a declaration – it is a reality.” He pointed to increased supplies of Azerbaijani oil products to Armenia.

Despite the progress, he said Azerbaijan maintained its stance on Armenia’s constitution.

“The form of constitutional changes is Armenia’s internal matter,” Hajiyev said. “What is important for Azerbaijan is that the provisions Azerbaijan regards as territorial claims against our country are formally removed, whether through the adoption of a new constitution or another legal mechanism.”

“Once that issue is resolved, Azerbaijan believes there will be no obstacles to signing the final peace agreement,” he said.

‘Positive Signals’

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he plans to hold a referendum to change the constitution and that a draft of the new charter will be published by the end of this year.

But his Civil Contract party lacks the constitutional majority in parliament needed to call the referendum, and it is unclear whether the opposition, dominated by pro-Russian groups, will join him.

Hajiyev said publication of the draft alone would not be sufficient to sign a peace deal.

He also said Azerbaijan received “serious and positive signals” from the United States that construction work on a planned Washington-backed transport corridor in the region could begin this autumn.

Dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP),” the proposed 43-kilometer (27-mile) corridor would cut across Armenia and give Azerbaijan direct access to its exclave of Nakhchivan and its close ally Türkiye.

The route would better connect Asia to Europe at a time when Washington wants to diversify energy and trade flows away from Russia because of the war in Ukraine.

“Azerbaijan’s position is that the TRIPP should be implemented as soon as possible,” Hajiyev said.

He said infrastructure extending to Azerbaijan’s southwestern Zangilan region would be largely completed by the end of 2026, after which it could be connected to planned infrastructure in Armenia and Türkiye.

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The European Union needs greater strategic autonomy

Vorskanian Yeghisabet
Vlada Republike, Hungaria
July 16, 2026

EUROPEAN POLITICAL COMMUNITY SUMMIT IN ARMENIA

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikola Pashinyan on the eve of the 8th European Political Community Summit in Yerevan. On that occasion, they signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Dialogue between Croatia and Armenia.

Our goal is to deepen cooperation within international organizations, as well as in a number of areas: security, defense and justice, economy and infrastructure, industry, energy, education, science, culture, tourism and sports, the Prime Minister said.

They discussed cooperation within the framework of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership and the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In times of global uncertainty, it is crucial that the European Union and Armenia intensify cooperation for the stability of the European neighborhood, the meeting concluded.

The Prime Minister also met with the Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Georgia, Archbishop Ante Jozić, and the Honorary Consul of Croatia in Armenia, Artashes R. Kazakhetsyan, Honorary Consul of Croatia in Armenia.

They discussed the political, social and security situation in Armenia and the wider region. The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction that Croatian Archbishop Ante Jozić is fulfilling the important duty of papal envoy in Armenia, the country that first embraced Christianity, he emphasized.

On the eve of the European Political Community meeting, the Prime Minister answered journalists’ questions, and when asked about Georgia’s membership in the European Union, he replied that it was important for the Georgian people to decide which path they would take.

He added that there had been a setback in the accession process and expressed his belief that Georgia, once the right conditions are met and democratic processes are fulfilled in terms of the established criteria, can return to the European path.

The goal is to improve relations between Croatia and Armenia

He also referred to the meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan, recalling that Armenia is expected to hold parliamentary elections in a month, and today’s meeting at the European Political Community summit is very important for him and Armenia.

He said that Armenia is a country of 3 million people, which is regionally and historically on the edges of Europe, with strong Russian influence and complex and layered relations with Azerbaijan for the last 50 years. All of this affects their everyday lives, he said.

He continued that Armenia now wants to get closer to the European Union, and in this context, Croatia has an important role in transferring knowledge.
 
He mentioned that Croatia, together with Slovenia, is implementing a twinning project that provides assistance to Armenia in the segment of reforms related to healthcare, and the company DOK-ING is engaged in demining the territory.

A statement on strategic dialogue was signed today, the aim of which is to improve relations between Croatia and Armenia. Our political relations are very correct. Economic cooperation is in the initial stages and we need more links and contacts, concluded Plenković, adding that he is the first Croatian Prime Minister to have ever visited Yerevan in that capacity.

Relations between the European Union and the United States: We must find ways to function as allies

We must find ways to function as allies, said Plenković when asked by a journalist about relations between Europe and the United States.

There is a 75-year history of cooperation that brings together countries on both sides of the Atlantic, he recalled, emphasizing that the role of the United States was important even at the time when the European Union was being created and built.

Over the years, these ties have been unbreakable, he emphasized and explained that occasionally there are problems and situations in which positions may differ, requiring prior consultations in order to be harmonized.

He also referred to the recent meeting of the Three Seas Initiative in Dubrovnik, which connects the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas and at which a number of agreements were signed, and recalled that US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright also participated.

We are trying to contribute to building elements that hold us together, not divide us, concluded Plenković.

International cooperation and alliances strengthen us

He stressed that the European Union needs greater strategic autonomy, which is why the member states, after the NATO summit in The Hague, undertook to increase defense spending.

In today’s world, no one is a priori secure; security cannot be taken for granted, said Plenković, concluding that at the same time there are processes of self-reliance and strengthening European defense.

Today’s world requires a strong emphasis on national identity and sovereignty, however, international cooperation and alliances can strengthen us, he emphasized.

He emphasized that for 10 years as Croatian Prime Minister, he has been implementing a policy of modern sovereignty.

As a nation, we are stronger if we intelligently use our strengthened international position, in terms of economic development, financing and various layers of safety nets in a situation of global, unpredictable crisis such as a pandemic, energy crisis or wars whose consequences directly affect our energy security, social situation and inflationary pressures, explained the Prime Minister.

If we are together, then we have more instruments at our disposal, he said, concluding that it is therefore desirable to implement policies that satisfy both sides.

Today’s meeting of the European Political Community is an opportunity to consider all economic, security and business issues and to connect a wider circle of countries in order to strengthen cooperation on the European continent and offer solutions for peace and development in a sensitive period, full of conflicts and conflicts.

A joint statement for the purpose of improving the ECAD program

The Prime Minister also reported on platform X that at the informal meeting of the European Coalition against Drugs on the sidelines of the 8th meeting of the European Political Community in Armenia, a joint statement was adopted for the purpose of improving the ECAD program.

He stated that more than 80 percent of illegal drugs enter Europe by sea, therefore the statement focuses on three key pillars: combating the illegal drug trade by sea and through ports, addressing the related threats of illicit financial flows, money laundering and corruption, and strengthening policies to reduce the demand, risks and harms of drug use, with an emphasis on synthetic drugs.

It is important, he added, to deepen coordination at the European level in order to more efficiently expose smuggling networks in order to reduce the availability of drugs and protect the health and safety of citizens.

“A balanced approach to the fight against drugs also means greater investments in prevention, treatment, recovery and reintegration, with a focus on young and vulnerable groups,” said Plenković.


https://vlada.gov.hr/the-european-union-needs-greater-strategic-autonomy/47016

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TRIPP takes step toward implementation

Hovhannisian John
Eurasianet
July 16, 2026

Armenia launches ratification process.

Jul 16, 2026

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan hold copies of a framework agreement covering TRIPP during Rubio’s visit to Yerevan in late May. In June, the two sides formally signed the agreement, and on July 16, the Armenian government approved a bill that affirms the development guidelines specified in the agreement. (Photo: mfa.am)

The Armenian government approved a bill July 16 to formalize the country’s role in the development of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP, which is envisioned as a key node in the emerging Middle Corridor trade network.

The bill affirms the development guidelines specified in a framework agreement signed by US and Armenia officials covering TRIPP, including operational and ownership structures. The United States is envisioned as holding a 74 percent stake in TRIPP, with the Armenian government retaining the remainder.

Prior to the cabinet vote, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan explained the bill’s provisions and outlined the Armenian state’s responsibilities for ensuring implementation of the framework agreement. He emphasized that the bill contained no new provisions and was consistent with the US-Armenian framework agreement signed in January, along with the provisional Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal, signed at the White House in August 2025. TRIPP is considered the centerpiece of the peace deal.

The government bill now will undergo legal review by Armenia’s Constitutional Court. Provided it wins court approval, the bill will go to parliament for a vote.

A freshly created entity, the TRIPP Development Co., will have a 49-year lease to build and operate the transit route. Mirzoyan noted that before construction can start, two additional agreements will have to be negotiated and signed – a shareholders’ agreement and a TRIPP Development Co. charter.

Meanwhile, the US State Department named Konstantin Sokolov, a Chicago-based private equity investor, to head a $200 million US government enterprise fund designed to promote the Middle Corridor trade network’s development, including TRIPP.

According to a report published by the Guardian, Sokolov – who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s – was among the large-scale donors to Trump’s project to build a ballroom occupying the East Wing of the White House. The Guardian report noted that many ballroom donors have subsequently received government advisory roles or official appointments.


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Azerbaijan Says Peace With Armenia Depends on Constitutional Changes

Emil Lazarian
Modern Diplomacy
July 16, 2026

Azerbaijan says it is already living in a state of “real peace” with Armenia following decades of conflict, but insists that Yerevan must amend its constitution before the two countries can sign a final peace treaty.

Sana Khan
July 16, 2026

Azerbaijan says it is already living in a state of “real peace” with Armenia following decades of conflict, but insists that Yerevan must amend its constitution before the two countries can sign a final peace treaty.

The comments highlight the remaining political hurdles despite significant progress since the neighbors reached a preliminary U.S. brokered peace agreement in August 2025. A lasting settlement would reopen regional trade routes and reshape the geopolitical balance in the South Caucasus, a region strategically positioned between Europe and Asia.

Azerbaijan calls constitutional reform key to peace

Speaking to Reuters, Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, said relations between the two countries had improved considerably, with direct contacts increasing and trade beginning to recover.

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He pointed to growing supplies of Azerbaijani oil products to Armenia as evidence that peace is already producing tangible economic benefits.

However, Baku maintains that Armenia’s constitution still contains language it considers a territorial claim against Azerbaijan.

The dispute centers on the preamble of Armenia’s constitution, which references an earlier declaration supporting the reunification of Armenia with Nagorno Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

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.

Legacy of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought multiple wars over Nagorno Karabakh following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Although the region was internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, it was governed for decades by an ethnic Armenian administration after the first war in the early 1990s.

The conflict effectively ended in 2023 when Azerbaijan regained full control of the territory during a rapid military operation that prompted the departure of nearly all of the region’s estimated 100,000 ethnic Armenian residents.

Since then, both governments have worked toward normalizing relations, culminating in a U.S. mediated framework agreement reached last year.

Armenia weighing constitutional referendum

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed support for adopting a new constitution and said a draft is expected before the end of the year.

However, changing the constitution remains politically difficult.

His governing Civil Contract party lacks the parliamentary majority required to initiate a constitutional referendum, while opposition parties, many of which maintain closer ties with Russia, have yet to indicate whether they would support such reforms.

Azerbaijan has made clear that publishing a draft constitution alone would not be sufficient and that formal legal changes are necessary before a final treaty is signed.

Transit corridor gains momentum

Another important element of the peace process is the proposed transport corridor connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.

The planned route, backed by Washington and referred to as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), would provide Azerbaijan with direct land access to Turkey while strengthening trade links between Asia and Europe.

Hajiyev said Azerbaijan has received encouraging signals from the United States that construction could begin as early as this autumn.

He added that infrastructure on Azerbaijan’s side of the border is expected to be largely completed by the end of 2026, allowing future connections with transport networks in Armenia and Turkey.

Why it matters

A permanent peace agreement would represent one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus in decades.

Normalizing relations could reopen closed borders, revive regional trade, improve energy and transport connectivity, and reduce the influence of longstanding regional rivalries involving Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

For the United States and the European Union, the agreement also aligns with broader efforts to develop alternative trade and energy corridors that bypass Russia.

Analysis

The remaining dispute illustrates that the Armenia Azerbaijan peace process has shifted from military confrontation to legal and political negotiation. While fighting has largely ceased and economic cooperation is slowly emerging, constitutional recognition has become the final symbolic and diplomatic obstacle to a comprehensive settlement.

A successful agreement would not only stabilize one of Eurasia’s most volatile regions but also strengthen emerging transport corridors linking Europe with Central Asia. However, domestic political constraints inside Armenia remain a significant challenge, meaning the pace of peace will likely depend as much on internal consensus in Yerevan as on diplomacy between the two neighbors.

With information from Reuters.

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Bucharest’s Armenian Street Festival celebrates 10th edition with free concert

Emil Lazarian
Romania Insider
July 16, 2026
16 July 2026
Irina Marica
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The Armenian Street Festival (Festivalul Strada Armenească) will return to Bucharest’s Botanical Garden from July 31 to August 2, celebrating its 10th edition with concerts, exhibitions, workshops, traditional crafts, and Armenian cuisine. Admission to the festival is free, while visitors will need to purchase a standard Botanical Garden entrance ticket.

Organized by the Union of Armenians in Romania and the Armenian Cultural Center in Bucharest, the festival has grown over the past decade from a community initiative into one of Bucharest’s largest multicultural summer events.

This year’s anniversary edition will feature performances by Romanian artists including Subcarpați, Bosquito, byron accompanied by Muse Quartet, Mădălina Pavăl Orchestra, and Paulina, alongside musicians from Armenia and the Armenian diaspora.

Among the Armenian performers are experimental musician Hayk Karoyi, vocalist Anna Kostanyan, saxophonist David Melkonyan, contemporary folk artist Katil, electronic music producer Gorgeouz Beats, and the Haykyanner and Vardavar traditional dance ensembles.

In addition to the concerts, the three-day festival will include visual art exhibitions, installations, workshops dedicated to traditional and contemporary crafts, children’s activities, talks, artist meetings, and Armenian food.

The full program of events is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The festival takes place in Bucharest’s Botanical Garden, where visitors will pay the regular entrance fee of RON 15 for adults and RON 10 for pensioners, pupils, and students. Admission to the festival itself is free, subject to venue capacity.

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Armenia Welcomes Over 1 Million Tourists in First Half of 2026

Maral Chavushian
RusTourism News
July 16, 2026
By Iuliia Tore / Jul 16, 2026 / 2 minutes of reading

Table of Contents

  • June Tourist Arrivals Continue to Grow
  • Russia Remains Armenia’s Largest Tourism Market
  • Tourism Committee Sees Strong Momentum

Armenia welcomed more than one million international visitors during the first six months of 2026, highlighting the country’s growing appeal as a tourism destination in the South Caucasus.

According to the  Tourism Committee of Armenia, the country recorded 1,041,598 tourist arrivals between January and June 2026, surpassing the one-million mark during the first half of the year.

Travel & Transportation

June Tourist Arrivals Continue to Grow

In June 2026, Armenia received 216,214 international visitors, slightly exceeding the 215,253 tourists recorded in June 2025, reflecting continued demand for the destination.

Russia Remains Armenia’s Largest Tourism Market

Russia continued to dominate Armenia’s inbound tourism market during the first half of 2026, accounting for 40% of all international arrivals, or 416,743 visits.

Georgia ranked as the second-largest source market with a 15% share of total arrivals, followed by Iran with 8%.

Tourism Committee Sees Strong Momentum

“We are seeing sustained growth in interest in Armenia from travellers around the world, while the Russian market continues to hold the leading position in inbound tourism,” said Lusine Gevorgyan, Head of the Tourism Committee of Armenia.

“Surpassing one million tourists during the first half of the year is an important milestone that confirms Armenia’s growing attractiveness as a  travel destination.”

She highlighted Armenia’s rich history, cultural heritage, diverse cuisine, scenic landscapes, year-round events and traditional hospitality as key factors driving visitor demand.

The Tourism Committee said it will continue expanding travel opportunities across the country by promoting both iconic attractions and lesser-known natural destinations, alongside cultural festivals and events throughout the year.

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Israel delays Armenian Genocide recognition vote amid tensions with Turkey and

Jirair Kafian
Greek City Times
July 16, 2026

Israel delays Armenian Genocide recognition vote amid tensions with Turkey and Azerbaijan

by Athens Bureau

Israel has postponed a landmark parliamentary vote that would formally recognise the Armenian Genocide, delaying a decision that had appeared set to mark a historic shift in the country’s longstanding policy.

Last month, Israel’s cabinet unanimously approved a proposal to recognise the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during the First World War as genocide. The measure, however, still requires approval by the Knesset before becoming official state policy.

The planned vote has now been suspended ahead of the Knesset’s summer recess, with Israel due to hold legislative elections on 27 October. As a result, the issue is unlikely to return to parliament for several months.

According to reports, the postponement comes at a diplomatically sensitive time as Israel seeks to manage increasingly strained relations with Turkey over the war in Gaza. Analysts have suggested that delaying the vote may help avoid further escalating tensions with Ankara, which has strongly condemned any move towards recognising the Armenian Genocide.

The decision also comes amid reports that Azerbaijan, one of Israel’s closest strategic partners in defence and energy, strongly opposed the proposed recognition and urged Israel to reverse course. Baku has consistently rejected international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and maintains close ties with Turkey.

For decades, successive Israeli governments avoided officially recognising the Armenian Genocide, citing geopolitical considerations and the importance of maintaining relations with both Turkey and Azerbaijan. The cabinet’s unanimous approval last month represented a significant departure from that policy, making the current delay all the more notable.

While the legislation has not been withdrawn, its future will depend on the next session of the Knesset after the October elections, leaving the historic measure in political limbo for the time being.

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‘The caves came first’ — how an Armenian artist breathed new life into Goris

Emil Lazarian
OC Media
July 16, 2026

Armenian painter Zhirayr Martirosyan has built his art studio in one of more than 10,000 abandoned caves scattered around Goris and its surroundings.

by Kushane Chobanyan

16 July 2026•6 min read

The cave is almost completely dark when you step inside. Paintings disappear into the shadows, the stone walls are hardly visible, and instinctively one wants to reach for their phone’s flashlight. But painter Zhirayr Martirosyan asks his audience to wait. As the darkness slowly begins to dissolve, a shelf emerges, then a canvas leaning against the rock. Sunlight still pours through the open doorway, but something else has changed: the eyes have adjusted.

Martirosyan’s art studio occupies just one of more than 10,000 caves scattered across Goris and its surrounding gorges. A century ago, thousands of people inhabited these caves — Martirosyan’s own father was born in one.

An ‘ingenious’ form of architecture

According to Vardan Sargsyan, the director of the Aksel Bakunts House-Museum in Goris — commemorating the Goris-born writer who was executed in 1937 by the Soviet authorities — anyone born in the area before the 1960s would have been born in a home located within the gorges.

‘The original dwelling was always the cave itself’, Sargsyan tells OC Media, adding that, ‘Later, families expanded the entrance by adding stone or wooden structures in front of it, gradually enlarging the house. The cave came first, and the built additions followed’.

Over time, more stone and wooden rooms were added, particularly by the beginning of the 20th century. As construction techniques became more modern, each generation extended the house a little further outward. People in the village Karahunj still live in houses like this. When entering what looks like a modern home, one is first met by older stone rooms, and at the very back is the original cave.

‘It’s an ingenious form of architecture’, Sargsyan says.

As in other places, a hierarchy existed: large families or those with greater resources resided in the bigger caves, often those with multiple rooms, while poorer families were left with the smaller spaces. Other caves served as public spaces, where community gatherings could be held or cultural events organised — there was also even a prison.

One of the most remarkable examples of this community was the cave theatre. Resembling a miniature version of a contemporary theatre, it is believed that there were special structures for placing the chairs inside the cave. Near the entrance stood a two-story stage with remarkable acoustics, thanks to the unique design of the structure and the type of rock in which it was carved. It remained in use until the 20th century. Even today, when locals celebrate Bakunts, events often begin at the cave theatre.

The local culture was not just limited to the caves and their surroundings. Indeed, Martirosyan tells OC Media that his great-grandfathers were famous ashughs (folk poet-singers) who would tour abroad, including to Iran. There, they would perform in front of the shah, receiving gifts such as sazes, traditional long-necked string instruments still popular in Armenian folk music today.

‘There was a real life in the cave’, Martirosyan says.

Beginning around 1870, the modern town of Goris began to be built on the plain directly across from the old cave settlement. People from different parts of Syunik gradually moved there because it was safer and more convenient. There, they built new houses, which is how the modern town of Goris emerged.

Meanwhile, the old cave village slowly emptied. Starting in 1930, the Soviet authorities began providing housing to families in order to encourage their movement away from the caves. By the 1960s, the last inhabitants had moved out, including Martirosyan’s father, who was only five-years-old when the family left for Baku. Locals, many of whom were left without a job after moving, then began using the abandoned caves to keep livestock or as a garbage dump.

The same happened with Old Khndzoresk, which was once an enormous cave settlement located around nine miles from Goris. According to Sargsyan, in the early 19th century, it was one of the four largest settlements in Armenia — at one point, its population reached around 5,000 people. During the Second World War alone, between 1,000 and 1,600 men were conscripted from the village.

Smaller cave villages also existed throughout the Khndzoresk Gorge, including Ghoghanjugh, Maghanjugh, Kyoru (or Goru), and Ughunishen. In the early 1960s, residents of these villages moved out onto the plateau and established a single new village together.

Building a new future from the abandoned caves

Martirosyan recalls that the last true cave-dweller died a couple of years ago

‘He had such unique tools in his house in Khndzoresk, things I’d never seen before’, Martirosyan tells OC Media. ‘Because I collect various vintage tools for my cave art studio, many people have given me tools, but what I saw there was something extraordinary’.

Martirosyan only returned to Goris after graduating from Terlemezyan College, one of Armenia’s best-known art schools. While he used to spend a lot of time visiting Old Goris, where he would sit among the caves and paint, the soil, rocks, and other debris that had accumulated over the decades began to block many of the caves. In some places, Martirosyan says, you had to practically crawl just to get inside.

‘Eventually, I thought it would be better if I had a cave where I could both paint and leave my work’, he says. ‘That was the original idea, but over time it grew into something much bigger. I realised it could become a very interesting space’.

Not long after Martirosyan began clearing a cave to make it his dedicated space — the cave was so full of garbage it had been impossible to find the entrance — he began receiving calls from the Committee for the Protection of Historical Monuments, the local municipality, and other institutions. After a period of discussions and meetings, he was granted the cave free of charge.

Even so, the process to restore the cave has been extremely expensive. The rock needs reinforcement because stones constantly fall from above, creating safety risks. A cliff that has stood for millions of years gradually erodes; as the supporting soil disappears, the rock eventually collapses under its own weight.

‘I remember one collapse about 20 years ago. Our house isn’t far from here. Suddenly, there was a huge cloud of dust — a massive section of rock had fallen, damaging several caves’, Martirosyan recalls.

‘Beyond restoration, there is also the issue of safety. Before anything else, the entire area needs to be properly stabilised’.

Martirosyan owns another studio in Goris, where he works most of the time, but he enjoys spending his working hours in the cave studio during the summer. The humidity, however, creates challenges: the paint starts cracking, almost like tree bark splitting apart. Moisture gets into everything, including the wooden frames. Either the cave must be continuously heated, or the moisture must constantly be removed.

Standing among the enormous rocks of Old Goris, smartphone in hand, it is difficult to imagine that less than a century ago, mothers carried their newborn children with ropes up to the highest caves, men traveled to Iran to perform before the Shah, and children created games out of the natural world around them.

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Azerbaijan and Armenia: Rebuilding Peace and Trade Links

Kajoyan Gevork
DevDoscourse
July 16 2026

Azerbaijan and Armenia are making strides towards peace and rebuilding trade relations after decades of conflict. Although a U.S.-brokered peace deal is on the horizon, Azerbaijan demands changes in Armenia’s constitution. The potential peace could enhance regional trade and diminish the influence of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 16-07-2026 11:16 IST | Created: 16-07-2026 11:16 IST

  • Country:

    •  

  • Armenia

Key Takeaways

AI Summary

  • Azerbaijan and Armenia are close to a comprehensive peace deal aimed at restoring trade links after years of conflict.
  • Azerbaijan demands constitutional amendments in Armenia as a prerequisite for finalizing the peace agreement.
  • The peace process follows a U.S.-brokered preliminary agreement in August, addressing historical tensions over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
  • Successful negotiations could enhance trade routes in the South Caucasus and diminish the influence of Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are reportedly nearing a comprehensive peace deal, as the two nations work to restore trade links following decades of intermittent conflict. A senior Azerbaijani official indicated that while the peace process is making headway, Azerbaijan insists on constitutional amendments in Armenia before any final agreement can be reached.

The historical tension, largely fueled by disputes over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, saw a significant development with a U.S.-brokered preliminary peace agreement in August. Azerbaijan’s main contention is a clause in Armenia’s constitution referring to a Soviet-era document, perceived as a claim over the region.

The promise of lasting peace could revitalize trade routes across the South Caucasus, enhancing connections between Asia and Europe while potentially reducing the geopolitical clout of Russia, Turkey, and Iran in the area. Talks are ongoing, with Azerbaijan hopeful of resolving the constitutional issue to open new avenues for economic expansion.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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Azerbaijan at ‘real peace’ with Armenia but wants it to change constitution

Adrine Hakobian
Reuters
July 16, 2026
By Nailia Bagirova

July 16, 20268:50 AM GMT+3Updated 14 hours ago

  • Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh
  • A preliminary peace agreement was reached last August
  • Baku seeks changes to Armenian constitution for final deal
  • Lasting peace could reopen regional trade, transport links
  • ‘Positive signals’ from US on planned transport corridor
SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, July 16 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan and Armenia are at “real peace” and rebuilding trade links after decades of conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official told Reuters, but Baku is insisting on ‌changes to Armenia’s constitution before a final deal can be signed.
The South Caucasus neighbours had been at intermittent war since the late 1980s, mostly over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, before reaching a preliminary U.S.-brokered peace agreement last August.
For Azerbaijan, a sticking point to signing a formal deal is the preamble of Armenia’s constitution, which contains a reference to another Soviet-era document calling for the reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, then an autonomous region in Soviet Azerbaijan.
The territory had de facto independence and was governed by an ethnically Armenian administration for three decades before Azerbaijan took it ⁠in a lightning offensive in 2023. Most of its 100,000 population fled to Armenia.
A lasting peace could reopen trade and transport links across the South Caucasus, strengthening connections between Asia and Europe while reshaping the regional influence of Russia, Turkey and Iran.
In an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of a forum in the city of Shusha this week, Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s president and head of the president’s foreign policy department, praised the countries’ progress towards peace, including growing direct contacts and bilateral trade.
“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,” he said in an interview, pointing to increased supplies of Azerbaijani oil products to Armenia.
Despite the progress, he said Baku maintained its stance on Armenia’s constitution.
“The form of constitutional changes is Armenia’s internal matter,” said Hajiyev. “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.”
“Once that issue is resolved, we believe there will be no obstacles to signing the final peace agreement,” he said.

“POSITIVE SIGNALS” ON PLANNED TRANSIT CORRIDOR

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he wants to hold a referendum to change the constitution and that a draft of the new charter will be published by the end of this year.
But his Civil Contract party ⁠lacks the constitutional majority in parliament needed to call the referendum and it is unclear whether the opposition, dominated by pro-Russian groups, will join him.
Hajiyev said publication of the draft alone would not be sufficient to sign a peace deal.
He also said Azerbaijan had received “serious and positive signals” from the United States that construction work on a planned ⁠Washington-backed transport corridor in the region could begin this autumn.
Dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)”, the proposed 43-km (27-mile) corridor would cut across Armenia and give Azerbaijan direct access to its exclave of Nakhchivan and to its close ally Turkey
The route would better connect Asia to Europe at a time ⁠when Washington wants to diversify energy and trade flows away from Russia because of the war in Ukraine.
“Our position is that this (TRIPP) should be implemented as soon as possible,” Hajiyev said.
He said infrastructure extending to Azerbaijan’s southwestern Zangilan region would be largely completed by the end of 2026, after which it could be connected to planned infrastructure in Armenia and Turkey.

Reporting by Nailia Bagirova; Writing by Lucy Papachristou, Editing by Timothy Heritage

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