Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

President Ilham Aliyev has said that the historic trilateral declaration signed among Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will put a full stop in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict following which Azerbaijani territories remained under the Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

Aliyev made the remarks in his address to the nation in the early hours of November 10, made immediately after the signing of the peace deal.

“It is a historic day for our country today. An end is being put to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict today. I think that the trilateral statement that has just been signed will put a full stop in resolving the issue. The statement has been signed by the President of Azerbaijan, President of Russia and Prime Minister of Armenia,” Aliyev said.

Aliyev detailed for the nation points in the declaration, which entered force at 00:00 hours Moscow time on November 10, 2020.

Provisions of the deal

Under the deal, hostilities stop on November 10, 2020 and a complete ceasefire is introduced. Aghdam region and the territories held by Armenia in Gazakh region will be returned to Azerbaijan before November 20, Kelbajar region - before November 15, Lachin region - before December 1. Furthermore, in parallel with the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces, Russian peacekeepers are deployed for the period of five years in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor (5km wide), which shall provide a connection of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and shall not affect the city of Shusha. The prisoners of war and other detainees and bodies of the dead will be exchanged. Internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Moreover, all economic and transport links in the region shall be unblocked. Armenia shall provide for transport communication between Azerbaijan’s western regions and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to organize the unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions. Control over transport shall be exercised by the bodies of the Border Guard Service of the Russia Federal Security Service. The construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhchivan with the western regions of Azerbaijan shall be provided.

Under the deal, Russia and Turkey have to sign an agreement on interaction within the framework of the peacekeeping and monitoring mission in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Document of historic significance

“This declaration has historic significance... The declaration has been prepared in Russian. I have put my signature here, this document was submitted to the Russian Ambassador after the signing and the heads of state and government of Russia and Armenia will sign this document afterwards,” Aliyev said.

The president reiterated that Azerbaijan force Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to sign the document.

“We have forced him to do that... He is not signing it of his own free will. He is signing it under pressure from the iron fist!” the head of state noted.

The president connected Azerbaijan's glorious victory also to Shusha’s liberation from the occupation.

“I think that one of the reasons why this statement has been signed is our brilliant victory, our historic victory, the liberation of Shusha from the occupation. Shusha is the crown of Karabakh! The liberation of Shusha has great political and strategic significance, as well as great moral significance. We have returned to Shusha, we will live in Shusha, people will live in all other lands liberated from the occupation. People will return to those lands, live there, our people's 30-year longing will come to an end,” Aliyev said.

Aliyev expressed his pride over signing the document.

“I have signed this statement with great pride and joy because this statement puts an end to the long-standing occupation. This statement allows us to return to our other occupied regions – Aghdam, Lachin, Kalbajar – without bloodshed. There is a very short deadline, these districts will be returned to us by the end of this month. This is great happiness,” the president stressed.

Aliyev congratulated all residents of Aghdam, Lachin and Kalbajar on this occasion.

“My fellow compatriots,... you are going back, we are going back, Azerbaijan is going back! Azerbaijan is restoring its territorial integrity. Could there be greater happiness?” he said.

Aliyev pledged to rebuild all the liberated lands and stressed that the country owed the victory to the martyrs and wounded soldiers.

Military capitulation

The president said that 30 years of suffering and despair made the Azerbaijani nation even stronger.

“Everyone sees our strength, everyone understands what our iron fist is like. That is why we have driven them out and are perfectly right in doing that,” Aliyev said.

He said that Azerbaijan proved that there is a military solution to the conflict.

“A peaceful solution may be sought for one year, for two years, but for 30 years? How much longer will you try to fool us? However, we have proved that there is a military solution. And I said what I wanted. I said to Pashinyan, make a statement, make a commitment, provide a timetable, provide a schedule,” Aliyev added.

The president reiterated that the commitment in question was reflected in the declaration.

“Now there is an obligation in this document. He will get out of the rest of the occupied lands by 1 December. Therefore, there is a military option. But as I said, I want this military stage to stop so that we could move on to the political stage... What I was saying is coming true today. The military phase is over and we are moving on to the political phase. We have signed a document that favours our interests the most. Pashinyan has signed it. There was no other option. In essence, this is a confession of defeat. This is a military capitulation,” Aliyev noted.

He added that the problem is considered to be resolved if Armenia adheres to he ceasefire.

“The issue has already been resolved – of course, if Armenia adheres to the ceasefire. I have already given all my orders. I have given my orders to command centres and we will stop. We respect our own signature. The other side must also stop. Because if it doesn't stop, we won't stop either,” he added.

The president noted that international observers know who had violated the ceasefire agreements reached earlier.

“Who violated it the first time by bombing Ganja with a ballistic missile, who violated the ceasefire the second time less than five minutes after it was declared, and the third time by hitting Barda with cluster missiles. If they break it again, I think they will regret it even more. Therefore, we were able to achieve what we wanted. We were able to force the enemy. I actually gave them an ultimatum. I said – you must leave, if you don't, I will go to the end. Until the end! On 8 November, I said in the Alley of Martyrs that I would go to the end and no force could stop me,” the head of state said.

Turkish-Russian cooperation in conflict settlement

The president said that under the fifth paragraph of the declaration, Turkey along with Russia will play a role in the conflict settlement in the future.

“The fifth paragraph of the declaration reads: ‘In order to increase the effectiveness of control over the implementation of the agreements reached by the Parties to the conflict, a peacekeeping centre shall be deployed.’ I can say that Russian and Turkish servicemen will work in this centre. Thus, Turkey will officially play a role in the future settlement of the conflict and monitoring the ceasefire,” Aliyev added.

The president underlined efforts made by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to peacefully resolve the problem.

“They made truly great efforts during these 44-45 days to resolve the issue peacefully. At the same time, I am very glad that these two leaders have already played a positive role in ending the conflict. I think that it also largely determines the format of future cooperation in the region. Because if we look at the history of relations between Turkey and Russia today, I think they are at the highest level. Both countries are friendly and neighbouring countries for us. So I think that this format of cooperation can be even more diverse in the future,” he said.

Link between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan

Aliyev described as another important issue a link that will be established between the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and the rest of Azerbaijan.

“The opening of all communications and roads also shows that new transport and communication infrastructure can and should be created... I can say that this paragraph was included in this statement at my insistence. It has no bearing to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but I am glad that my requirement was accepted. Thus, a historic step was taken to connect the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with Azerbaijan, with the main part of Azerbaijan by land, “ the president said.

Aliyev also highly assessed the fact that representatives of all nationalities and all religious confessions living in the country showed courage fighting the enemy and restored the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

“This is our great asset, a great value... A multinational and multi-confessional Azerbaijan has asserted itself in this war, representatives of all peoples have displayed true unity and heroism. I want to say again that this war clarified many issues yet again,” the president said.

No status for Nagorno-Karabakh

The president also touched on the lack of any status for Nagorno-Karabakh in the declaration.

“You probably noticed that this declaration contains not a single word about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh! Where are the demands of the Armenian side that Nagorno-Karabakh should be granted independence? When I offered them autonomy, they did not agree, they said no, it is an ‘independent state’... As long as I am President, there will be no status. Therefore, this document is of great importance,” he said.

He added that Azerbaijan’s military victory played an exceptional role in achieving political victory. Simultaneously, the unity of the people and the government, the achievement of a positive level in political relations, Azerbaijan’s international reputation, its activities in the international arena, the army building also made the final victory possible.

“These days, I also noticed the following. Even people with different political views, those who are critical of our work and often express unfounded criticism, showed a model of high consciousness during this period,” he said.

The president said that national unity was one of the factors to enable Azerbaijan to get even more powerful country.

“The day will come, and some issues will probably be revealed that could not be revealed during the war. Perhaps I can also clarify some issues. Then everyone will see what ordeals we had to overcome, how much pressure we came under. We can say that they routinely told us to stop, stop, stop! But we went forward because I felt the support of the people, I saw their confidence in me. Nothing could stop me because I knew we were right,” the president said.

Aliyev said that the war showed the whole world how great the Azerbaijani people are.

“We are proud of our people, our army! I am sure that all citizens of Azerbaijan believe that these days and minutes are the happiest in their lives. I am also happy to convey good news and these messages to the Azerbaijani people. I am happy to have signed this historic document. I am happy that we are returning to our homeland, to our native Karabakh, Shusha, which is the crown of Karabakh, and we will always live in these lands! From now on, no-one can move us from these lands!”

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