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.

Russia is ready to host talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia so they could normalize their bilateral relations and sign a peace treaty, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

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.