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Akbar Novruz

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The South Caucasus stands once again at an ideological crossroads, between memory and modernity, between the pursuit of global relevance and the preservation of identity. The region has long been shaped by powerful currents: empire and independence, foreign influence and national revival. Yet today, a new question dominates the horizon: should nations abandon their inherited identity to align with the global order, or strengthen it to shape their own destiny?

This is not merely a political or diplomatic dilemma. It is a civilizational test, one that determines whether small nations can remain true to their own history while engaging with the world that often demands conformity. The 21st century’s version of “progress” increasingly asks societies to transcend tradition, to dissolve national spirit into a uniform global identity. But for nations built on memory, culture, and historical struggle, such transcendence may amount to self-erasure.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has become known for his unconventional statements. His latest remarks, however, reach beyond politics — into the very idea of identity itself. Speaking about regional perceptions, he claimed that Armenians’ attitudes toward Türkiye and Azerbaijan were not genuine but inherited from Soviet propaganda.

“When we say, ‘Turks never change,’ in Türkiye they say the same about Armenians. When we say, ‘How can we trust Azerbaijan?’ they say the same about Armenians. When we say, ‘We have learned nothing from history,’ they say, ‘You have learned nothing from history if you want peace with Armenians,’” Pashinyan said.

According to him, Armenian society must “liberate itself from the worldview shaped for us by KGB agents.”

It is a bold statement, but also a revealing one. In his pursuit of progressive ideals, Pashinyan openly questions the significance of national-spiritual identity, portraying it as an outdated burden shaped by the past. The message echoes the early European experiment with globalization, the illusion that societies could thrive once they set aside their cultural roots. Yet, decades later, Europe itself is experiencing the opposite: a return to the very identities it once tried to erase.

Samuel Huntington, in his renowned work "The Clash of Civilizations", predicted precisely this paradox. He argued that in the post-Cold War era, ideological and economic divides would gradually fade, giving way to cultural and civilizational boundaries as the main source of global tension. Attempts to impose universalist values, he warned, would eventually clash with the deep-rooted identities of societies that define themselves not by systems, but by history and culture.

Seen through that lens, the notion of dissolving national identity in favor of a globalist vision runs counter to the very fabric of civilizational resilience. The South Caucasus, positioned at the crossroads of civilizations for millennia, cannot be understood through abstract global ideals detached from its historical context. Here, identity is not a barrier to progress; it is the foundation of continuity.

What some portray as “modern liberation” from inherited narratives may, in reality, be the weakening of civilizational self-awareness. And in a region where memory and belonging have always been the currency of survival, such detachment risks leaving societies ideologically unanchored in an increasingly uncertain world.

Against this philosophical backdrop, another vision is emerging in the region, one that does not seek to escape identity but to modernize it. It treats national heritage not as a burden, but as a source of strength in a world increasingly defined by uncertainty. This approach blends progress with preservation, science with culture, and state-building with historical truth. Rather than dissolving boundaries, it seeks to understand them; rather than erasing the past, it uses it as a compass for renewal.

It is from this perspective that the recent address delivered at the 80th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences carries deeper meaning, far beyond its surface themes of scientific advancement. It represents a clear declaration that modern nationhood must be informed by truth, anchored in history, and driven by intellect.

“Of course, when we talk about Garabagh and East Zangazur, we should also speak about the history of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, our rich history has long been distorted by Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. The campaign of propaganda against us does not stop even today. Therefore, we must counter this with our own truth,” the President said.

By framing history as a matter of study and evidence, the address links intellectual work with civic duty, a call to strengthen collective awareness through facts rather than rhetoric.

“We must study and promote our history. Azerbaijani citizens, Azerbaijani youth should know our rich history. They should know that the history of the Azerbaijani people, the history of our statehood and the ability of our people to build and create have a centuries-old history.”

Later, the address extended this idea toward a vision of peaceful return and coexistence, grounded in truth and self-confidence.

“Azerbaijanis have never been afflicted with the disease of separatism. Our people have contributed to the statehood of the countries they live in. And today, Azerbaijanis do not create and will never create problems for any state or its people. Therefore, the return of Azerbaijanis to the present-day Armenia should not intimidate the people or state of Armenia. I said this some time ago as well. We must return to our historical lands — not with tanks, but in cars.”

The phrase “not with tanks, but in cars” distils a broader message that reconciliation and restoration can emerge through understanding, not confrontation.

President Aliyev’s final remarks reinforced that message by calling for knowledge-based advocacy of historical truth.

“It is enough to look at early-20th-century maps published by Tsarist Russia to see that the overwhelming majority of toponyms in what is now Armenia are of Azerbaijani origin. There was no Lake Sevan on those maps. There is Lake Goycha on those maps, along with all other Azerbaijani historical toponyms we use. We did not compile those maps for anyone to say that we are committing fraud. This was done by Tsarist Russia... Therefore, we must promote and study this. More research works, even small booklets, should be prepared so that both Azerbaijani youth and the world community can know their history well and, at the same time, for our return to present-day Armenia to sound completely logical and fair.”

In this framework, progress is not defined by abandoning identity, but by understanding it more deeply, combining knowledge with nationhood, and truth with transformation.

The fault lines of civilisation no longer run through battlefields but through ideas, through how nations see themselves and what they choose to remember. The South Caucasus stands once again at the meeting point of worlds, where history and progress compete for space.

Whether nations dissolve into a borderless global narrative or shape their own future through heritage and intellect will determine not only their political survival but their civilizational identity.

And in this unfolding test, it is not power but purpose that will define who endures.