Sargis Khandanyan, Chair of the Armenian National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, expressed hope that normalization efforts between Armenia and Turkey would soon yield positive outcomes. He made the remarks during the 23rd Autumn Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul, titled “Bridging Perspectives: Strengthening Dialogue, Mediation and Trust in an Era of Uncertainty.”
“Being here in Turkey, I can’t help but express optimism that the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey will soon bring positive results. The current constructive and active political dialogue gives us hope it will soon evolve into institutionalized relations, open borders, and broader cooperation,” he said.
Addressing Armenia–Azerbaijan peace efforts, Khandanyan referred to the historic peace declaration signed on August 8 in Washington as a strong and genuine commitment by both countries to advance the peace process and close the chapter of conflict.
“The Washington Declaration lays a solid foundation for a new era of cooperation and development in relations, based on mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders.
It also provides a roadmap for resolving all outstanding issues, including the signing and ratification of a peace treaty, which was pre-signed during the Washington summit.
Our discussions on opening regional transport links have become more practical, especially steps toward implementing the TRIPP route as part of Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace initiative. This corridor will benefit not only the South Caucasus but also have global significance, connecting Central Asia with Europe.”
He added that building mutual trust requires patience and care. “An important trust-building step was the closure of the OSCE Minsk Group and related bodies, following a joint request by Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
On August 8, a joint declaration was signed during a trilateral summit at the White House with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov pre-signed the peace agreement titled “On the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
