Liberation of Azerbaijan's territories offers new prospects for regional integration - MP
By Vafa Ismayilova
Azerbaijani MP Hikmat Babaoglu has said that the current geostrategic reality created by the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity opens up new prospects for the regional integration and development as a whole, Azertag reported on January 11.
"The present active and speedy implementation of transport and infrastructure projects by Azerbaijan at the post-war stage on the liberated territories draws the attention of the regional countries to Azerbaijan in order to make more effective use of the new conditions," the MP said.
The MP initially named Russia, Turkey and Iran among the regional countries in question.
“If to take in view Russia’s and Turkey’s important political role in resolving the [Nagorno-Karabakh] problem and their participation in maintaining peace during the post-war stage, then it appears that these two countries might play an important role in the region’s economic and political integration in the context of cooperation with Azerbaijan,” he said.
Babaoglu added that neighbouring Iran could undoubtedly play an important role in the regional integration process and this could serve as one of the foundations for the establishment of a partnership platform that the regional countries, especially Azerbaijan, which is the architect of the new realities, wants.
In parallel with this, the outlines of the platform, which can ensure regional development and integration, are actually becoming clearer given Georgia’s participation in all regional and international energy and transport projects implemented by Azerbaijan, the MP noted.
He said that "it should be taken into account that Armenia’s participation in this platform is possible if it wishes and accepts the new realities as the fact of occupation no longer exists. For this reason, 3+3 six-sided platform is considered to be the most promising one to ensure lasting regional peace and cooperation".
The Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia and Russia-Iran-Armenia six lateral cooperation platform is the most promising platform for developing our region and establishing long-term peace. Experience shows that the participation of actors from outside the region in some cases not only contributes to the development of cooperation but also creates contradictions and polarization sometimes, the MP said. He added that a possible peace agreement with the prospect of being signed in the further stage could be an accord between Russia-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Armenia which are members of the six-party cooperation platform.
He noted that presently playing a stabilizing role in the region, Russian peacekeepers tie the hands of war supporters and revanchists in Armenia. Moreover, Armenia still has forces that do not want to accept Russia’s role in creating regional peace and boosting cooperation, Babaoglu said.
The MP believes that those forces aim to involve in the process more radical actors outside the region and rekindle the war.
“In fact, we know there are some countries that are interested in this. Therefore, permanent regional cooperation and peace, is, above all, in the interests of the regional countries. The restoration of new transport and communication projects will serve namely these goals,” he said.
Babaoglu stressed that the restoration of the railway communications will facilitate neighbouring Iran’s cooperation with the Eurasian Union member states.
"Simultaneously, Turkey will get an opportunity to use all communications. Thus, integration with the region, which has been paralyzed by Armenia's occupation policy for many years, will finally be possible, and this will be to the benefit of all parties," he said.
Addressing an online government meeting on the results of 2020 that was held on January 6, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that the Horadiz-Aghband railway, in a settlement in Zangilan district near the Armenian border, will be rebuilt as Armenians had completely destroyed it. He said the road is of special importance for the opening of the Nakhchivan corridor.
"At present, specific work is underway to open the Nakhchivan corridor... The opening of this corridor is stipulated in the statement signed on November 10. Therefore, it will definitely open and usher new opportunities to the region. This road will be used by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Armenia and Iran. It is of special importance for a future multilateral cooperation,” the president added.
A Moscow-brokered ceasefire deal that Baku and Yerevan signed on November 10 brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.
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