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.

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, a sudden breakthrough in a fitful and often bitter peace process.

Armenia and The Azerbaijan Republic have reached an agreement on a peace treaty, marking a significant step toward ending nearly four decades of conflict between the two former Soviet republics, officials from both countries announced on Thursday.

The European Union says conclusion of Azerbaijan and Armenia talks and agreement on the text of a possible treaty, "a decisive step."

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the agreement of peace treaty terms between Armenia and Azerbaijan should open the way for a lasting peace deal in the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan finalize a peace treaty to end their decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. #ArmeniaAzerbaijan #PeaceTreaty

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 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. Officials in Yerevan and Baku said earlier they had agreed the text of a peace agreement to end more than three decades of conflict between their countries,