Agreement on Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty text is a significant milestone - David Fernández Puyana

David Fernández Puyana, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE) to the United Nations and UNESCO, considers the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the conclusion of negotiations a significant milestone.

“However, the main challenge in establishing peace lies in the implementation of the agreement’s provisions, not merely in the act of signing the document,” Mr. Fernández Puyana said in an interview with Armenpress during the “Yerevan Dialogue” conference.

Commenting on the situation in the South Caucasus, particularly the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he first congratulated the leadership of both countries for finalizing the text of the peace treaty.

"I think this is an important landmark after 35 years of conflict between the parties. However, the main challenge is the stability of the agreement and the observance of its provisions in the future, because it is not just about signing. It is at a starting point. In that sense, the parties must be ready to make concessions. In addition, the challenges are very huge,"  he emphasized.

David Fernández Puyana also underscored the critical role of the economy and trade in achieving lasting peace.

“This is an opportunity, as economic cooperation is one of the key pillars of any peace agreement,” he said.

Referring to Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, the ambassador highlighted the importance of building trust among the region’s countries.

“When there is no trust between the parties, we will not have peace. This is one of the first elements of any kind of peace negotiation process. Having said that, I think this initiative is extremely important because open borders, as well as infrastructure, strengthen economic, diplomatic and cultural ties between the parties. It is an innovative and ambitious project and serves as a precondition for sustainable peace, job creation, economic growth, and regional security,” he noted.

Regarding cooperation between Armenia and the University for Peace, Mr. Fernández Puyana said the partnership has proven effective, particularly in training diplomats.

“First of all, I must mention that the University for Peace was established in 1980 by a UN General Assembly resolution promoted by the Government of Costa Rica. We are an intergovernmental organization with 43 member states and are headquartered in Costa Rica.

"We signed a cooperation agreement with the Diplomatic  Academy which is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. And we have been training leaders in peace and diplomacy during the past four  meetings in Geneva. We are very proud to see many of these graduates in dialogue at this conference today," he concluded.