But hurdles remain. Azerbaijan also said Armenia’s constitution must “eliminate the claims against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” as a prerequisite to allow for the signing of the peace treaty.

By Felix Light and Nailia Bagirova TBILISI/BAKU (Reuters) -Armenian and Azerbaijani officials said on Thursday that they had agreed the text of a peace agreement to end nearly four decades of conflict between the South Caucasus countries,

President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the finalization of a draft peace agreement between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, reaffirming Tehran’s support for regional peace and stability.

Azerbaijan has accused Armenian forces of firing on its positions from Armenia's southern Syunik province. This accusation follows recent negotiations between the two nations, agreeing to a peace treaty aimed at ending decades-long conflict.

Armenia and Azerbaijan will not deploy third-country forces along their border after the two sides sign a peace agreement, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday.

YEREVAN—The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced on March 13 the completion of negotiations on the draft treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to the MFA, Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on the non-deployment of third-party forces along the border and the withdrawal of legal claims from international courts.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed announcements by Azerbaijan and Armenia that they have concluded negotiations on a draft peace agreement.

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to the terms of a long-awaited peace treaty Thursday that could end a decades-long conflict that began with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for nearly four decades after the Soviet Union they were both members of collapsed.