Expert: Armenia knows importance of normalizing ties with Azerbaijan
By Vugar Khalilov
Azerbaijani International Relations Analysis Center Chief Farid Shafiyev has said that Armenia knows the importance of normalizing ties with Azerbaijan, Trend has reported.
Shafiyev made the remarks at a press conference dedicated to the center's activity in 2021.
“[Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan and his entourage understand that Armenia's prospects are limited and the only way is to normalize relations with Azerbaijan,” Shafiyev stressed.
He underlined the positive outcomes of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy reminding the trilateral meeting held between the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders on November 26, 2021, in Russia's Sochi.
“Moreover, Pashinyan made positive messages at the recent press conference. But we should not forget that he is a populist,” he added.
At his online press conference held on December 24, Pashinyan said that the final status of the Karabakh region should be resolved in line with the Azerbaijani Constitution.
“This is important because if the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is registered, then its final status must be clarified in accordance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said.
Commenting on the peace negotiations between the former Armenian and Azerbaijani governments on the final status of the region, Pashinyan stressed that Karabakh “couldn’t have been completely Armenian land”.
“Based on those negotiations, it was clear that the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was going to have Armenian and Azerbaijani populations. Would there be a legislature in Nagorno-Karabakh? Yes, there would be a legislature, but it wouldn’t be fully Armenian. There would be an Azerbaijani quota and an Armenian quota. Would there be local self-government bodies? Yes, but there would be not only Armenian but also Azerbaijani local self-government bodies,” Pashinyan stressed.
It should be noted that during the Sochi meeting Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders agreed on unblocking the communication lines in the region, as well as delimitation of the state borders, which have not been fulfilled over the past 30 years due to Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also welcomed the results of the Sochi meeting stating that it “fully reflects Azerbaijan’s position”.
The statement stressed the speedy implementation of projects aimed at revealing the economic potential of the region, including the opening of railways and highways.
In the post-war period, Azerbaijan called for the full implementation of trilateral statements, the opening of all communications in the region, the start of the delimitation process between the two countries and the normalization of relations on the basis of international law.
It was emphasized that Azerbaijan will continue to take appropriate steps to implement the relevant points reflected in the November 26 statement.
During the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel on December 15, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.
Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.
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