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Aliyev’s remarks on peace negotiations with Armenia
The fifth Congress of World Azerbaijanis took place in Shusha. This time it was entitled the Congress of Victory. Speaking to the participants of the congress, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that if Yerevan does not accept the five principles proposed by Baku to start peace negotiations, the territorial integrity of Armenia will not be recognized.
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The city of Shusha, declared the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, hosted the fifth Congress of World Azerbaijanis. More than 400 representatives of the diaspora and guests from 65 countries took part in its work.
The first congress of world Azerbaijanis was held on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev in 2001. Later it was held every five years. Due to the second Karabakh war, the fifth congress was postponed from 2021 to 2022.
Addressing the congress participants, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev commented on the issue of future peace talks with Armenia and the role of international organizations in this process.
“As for the mediators, unfortunately, even today, high-ranking officials in Armenia are still talking about the Minsk Group. I think this is futile and completely pointless.
The Minsk Group was actually paralyzed in 2019. The group, mandated in 1992 to deal with this issue, has actually achieved no results.
If we now look at the history and actions of this group, the proposals it made, we can once again be convinced that this group was not created to resolve the issue. We were just a little naive at the time. This group was not created to resolve the issue, but to perpetuate the occupation. In the co-chairing countries of the Minsk Group, Armenian lobby groups are very influential. That is why in 28 years this group has not achieved any results.
And in 2019, the activities of the group, one might say, ceased. The reason for this was the very strange behavior of the new leadership of Armenia. Because when the new leadership of Armenia came to power in 2018, and the Minsk Group, and – I must say openly – we had certain hopes that after the overthrow of the regime of the criminal junta, the politicians of the new generation who came to power would be in touch with the reality, that they would understand their inability to fight, to wage war with Azerbaijan.
Active negotiations over the course of almost a year further reinforced this view. However, in 2019, the leadership of Armenia began to demonstrate a completely different position. The absurd thoughts expressed by the Armenian leadership actually put an end to the negotiation process. The words “Karabakh is Armenia, period” put an end to the negotiation process, and the Minsk Group, which met with me after this statement, held a very uncertain position, because after this statement it was impossible to conduct any negotiations, because the essence of the negotiations was that the lands under occupation would be liberated.
After that, the Minsk Group could not actually carry out any activity, even for the sake of appearances”, Aliyev said.
According to the President of Azerbaijan, leading international organizations have accepted post-war realities:
“The UN held an international event in Shusha. The European Union is currently very actively involved in the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The OSCE is well aware that the Minsk Group is gone.
A few months ago, even before the Russian-Ukrainian war, when I was asked what the Minsk Group would do, I answered that in 2022 it would be the 30th anniversary of its creation, the anniversary would be celebrated, and then they would retire. However, after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, they did not even have the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary”.
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Azerbaijan intends to conduct peace talks with Armenia on the basis of the five principles proposed to Yerevan by Baku.
Five principles for starting peace negotiations proposed by Azerbaijan:
- mutual recognition by states of each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of state borders and political independence;
- mutual confirmation by states of the absence of territorial claims against each other and their acceptance of a legal obligation not to make such claims in the future;
- refraining from threatening each other’s security in international relations, using threats and force against political independence and territorial integrity, as well as other circumstances that do not correspond to the purposes of the UN Charter;
- delimitation and demarcation of the state border, establishment of diplomatic relations;
- opening transport links and communications, establishing other relevant communications and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.
“After that, the issue of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia is on the agenda. We put forward this agenda again. Despite all the painful moments, the occupation, the committed vandalism, we believe that there is a need for this in the name of the future of the region. We presented the peace agenda, but there was no response from Armenia. International organizations also, one might say, did not show much interest in this. Therefore, we specifically submitted a proposal consisting of five principles, and Armenia accepted them.
Thus, the leadership of Armenia has officially declared that it recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, there are no territorial claims against Azerbaijan and there will not be any in the future. I believe that this is an important moment for the post-conflict period, and we intend to negotiate on the basis of precisely these five principles.
At present, the ministers and ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries are forming working groups, I believe that in the near future it is necessary to start specific negotiations and not to drag them out too much, because the peace treaty will be signed precisely on the basis of five principles.
Therefore, the text of the treaty can be prepared and signed soon, and thus relations can be established between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including diplomatic relations. By putting forward this proposal, we once again demonstrate goodwill and, I repeat, show far-sightedness.
The revanchist forces periodically raising their heads in Armenia should know that this is the only way out, and perhaps the last chance for Armenia. If they refuse this, then we will not recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia and will officially declare this. Considering the results of the Second Karabakh War, the Armenian side should be well aware of what this step will lead to”, Aliyev said.