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.

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.