Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has stated that the main condition for concluding a peace treaty with Armenia is the removal of territorial claims against Azerbaijan from the Armenian constitution.
"The main condition for the peace treaty is to amend the Armenian constitution, because it contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and a peace treaty will not be signed until this happens," the President said while accepting the credentials of Canada's new ambassador to Azerbaijan, Kevin Hamilton, on Monday.President Aliyev expressed the hope that with amendments to the Armenian constitution, reaching agreement on the main principles and further work on the text of the treaty could become a reality.
"Currently, we see better results at the bilateral level. No one is interfering in this process. We can reach an agreement on border delimitation and even, which is rare, demarcation. Although the peace treaty has not been signed yet, border delimitation has already been achieved," the President said.
In general, after years of confrontation and numerous unsuccessful attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully, the situation began to change in recent months. President Aliyev emphasized that negotiations between the two countries effectively began in December last year following the liquidation of the separatist regime, which opened a new page in diplomatic efforts to attain a peace treaty.
Despite difficulties and historical grievances, President Ilham Aliyev expressed optimism regarding the future of the peace negotiations. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is ready to continue working on a document that includes the basic principles of the peace treaty and hopes to reach an agreement in the coming months.
The President also noted the importance of ensuring the right to mutual return for members of the Western Azerbaijani community who were subjected to ethnic cleansing by Armenia in the past century. He emphasized that the material and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani population was completely destroyed as a result of this conflict.
The head of state also highlighted that agreements have been successfully reached on the delimitation and demarcation of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which is rare in the region.
In an interview with News.Az, political analyst Tural Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan's demand for amendments to the Armenian constitution as an important condition for concluding a peace treaty is legitimate. According to him, the Armenian side makes statements that may confuse the international community, claiming that this is interference in the internal affairs of the state.
"The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia mentions Nagorno-Karabakh, and after Armenia gained independence, its declaration of independence clearly stated that Nagorno-Karabakh should join Armenia in the future. In such conditions, Azerbaijan's demand is legitimate and is based on respect for international law. Until this point is eliminated, the peace process between the two states cannot begin. This point contradicts the conclusion of a peace treaty," he said.
Tural Aliyev believes that forces seeking to promote their interests in the South Caucasus by using Armenia are raising questions about the return of Armenians who voluntarily left Karabakh.
"In turn, Western Azerbaijanis were expelled from their ancestral lands, and this process took place in stages during the Soviet period, and by 1988 there was not a single Azerbaijani left in Armenia, all were expelled. Armenia carried out repressions both in the Soviet period and especially during the dissolution of the USSR. Ethnic cleansing was carried out not only in Armenia but also against Azerbaijanis living in Karabakh. If Armenians want to return, the rights of Western Azerbaijanis must be recognized in parallel. This concerns not only the right to residence but also political, social, and other freedoms, which must be ensured, and the Republic of Armenia must provide guarantees. Just as Azerbaijan guarantees the Armenians living in Karabakh that immediately after acquiring Azerbaijani citizenship, their rights will be restored on an equal basis with other citizens of Azerbaijan," the political analyst said.
When asked what contributions international partners can make to the peace process, Tural Aliyev replied that 100% optimism cannot be spoken of here. He noted that some major states and regional powers do not sincerely wish for peace. Therefore, the best negotiations are substantive negotiations.
"Mediators often act out of their own interests, striving to maintain the conflict or secure their interests in the peace agreement. The more mediators there are, the more problems arise. Steps taken to solve the problem sometimes fail. We faced this problem within the OSCE Minsk Group for 28 years. Mediators, instead of fulfilling their duties, tried to freeze the conflict by proposing conditions that Azerbaijan could not accept. This is the root of the problem. Therefore, the president repeatedly sent political messages to international mediators and partners: if you want to contribute to peace, make your proposals, but if you want to interfere, this will not happen," the political analyst said.
Commenting on the statement President Ilham Aliyev made while accepting the credentials of the new Canadian ambassador, political analyst Elchin Mirzabayli noted that these statements emphasize the need to take into account all factors that may pose a threat to the security of Azerbaijan and the entire South Caucasus in the peace agreement with Armenia.
"The problem is that without eliminating the factors that contributed to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the genocide, and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis, a peace agreement with Armenia does not guarantee that such aggressive actions will not be repeated in the future. All mentions and provisions regarding territorial claims against Azerbaijan must be excluded from the Constitution and other normative acts of Armenia. Otherwise, signing a peace agreement makes no sense," the political analyst said.
Mirzabayli also emphasized that ensuring the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return to their native lands on the territory of present-day Armenia is their exclusive right. The European Convention on Human Rights and other international legal acts must guarantee their rights.
"I note that Azerbaijan does not accept the concept of 'international mediator' at all. For almost 30 years, we have seen attempts to ensure the continuity of the occupation under the guise of mediation. Azerbaijan has ensured its sovereignty within internationally recognized borders. Negotiations with Armenia are conducted as between independent subjects of law. Some international players are trying to quickly secure the signing of a peace agreement to preserve opportunities for future territorial claims by Armenia. Azerbaijan is not satisfied with this approach and considers it necessary to permanently eliminate factors that may stimulate future territorial claims by Armenia," Elchin Mirzabayli added.
