Armenians Caught Between Hope and Distrust After Peace Accord With Azerbaijan

The streets were almost deserted in Yerevan on Aug 9 because of the summer heat, but at shaded parks and fountains, Armenians struggled to make sense of what the accord signed a day earlier in Washington means for them.

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YEREVAN - The streets were almost deserted in Yerevan on Aug 9 because of the summer heat, but at shaded parks and fountains, Armenians struggled to make sense of what the accord signed a day earlier in Washington means for them.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, two Caucasian countries embroiled in a territorial conflict since the fall of the USSR, met on Aug 8 and signed a peace treaty under the watch of US President Donald Trump.

In Yerevan, however, few of the people asked by AFP were enthusiastic.

"It's a good thing that this document was signed because Armenia has no other choice," said Mr Asatur Srapyan, an 81-year-old retiree.

He believes Armenia has not achieved much with this draft agreement, but it is a step in the right direction.