Baku: The 30-year history of the Karabakh conflict highlights a significant gap between the enforcement of international law and political interests. Despite international recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and the adoption of UN Security Council resolutions, the occupation of its lands persisted without sanctions compelling Armenia to withdraw. Over decades, the lack of effective political action meant that justice as defined by international law remained elusive, with negotiations failing to alter the status quo.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Ilham Aliyev's remarks during a September 15 meeting in Baku with participants of international conferences should be seen as more than a political evaluation of the Karabakh conflict's history. They represent a critique of the selective application of international law, the failure of mediation mechanisms, and the geopolitical interests of major powers. The President attributed the failure of negotiations not only to Armenia's stance but also to the support it received from powerful states: 'As you know, the negotiations that lasted for 30 years produced no results. Because Armenia did not want to leave our lands voluntarily. The states considered major powers that supported Armenia did not want to resolve the issue, but rather to prolong it and make this occupation permanent. By providing Armenia with military, economic and political support, these states were effectively rewarding the occupier.'

This situation underscores the contradiction of the 30-year process: despite international recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and documents calling for an end to the occupation, there was no political will to enforce them. Armenia faced no significant consequences for its policy of occupation. Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by the United States, Russia, and France, failed to deliver results, maintaining the status quo for nearly three decades.

Azerbaijan changed this status quo in 2020. President Aliyev emphasized that the people of Azerbaijan ended the injustice and created a global precedent: 'The people of Azerbaijan put an end to this injustice and created a precedent in the world. Because, unfortunately, occupied lands had not been liberated until then. At least, such cases were not observed in the 20th and 21st centuries, or were extremely rare.'

The outcome that international mechanisms failed to achieve over three decades was ultimately realized by Azerbaijan through its own efforts. The liberation of most occupied territories in 2020 and the restoration of sovereignty in 2023 marked the end of the Karabakh conflict and altered the regional reality. The President framed this as not merely a military achievement, but the restoration of justice, rights, and national dignity: 'At the cost of their lives and blood, and thanks to the sacrifice of our heroic sons, we restored our justice, our rights and our national dignity. We drove the occupiers from our lands, raised the Azerbaijani flag in every corner of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, and put an end to separatism.'

In the post-war period, a new contradiction emerged. Baku has criticized the approach of PACE and the European Parliament towards Azerbaijan as an example of double standards. Azerbaijan argues that harsh political measures not applied against Armenia during the occupation were subsequently used against Baku after it restored its sovereignty. This raises a fundamental question: why did Azerbaijan's right to territorial integrity remain confined to statements and unenforced decisions, while Armenia faced no tangible consequences during the occupation?

The President's remarks on the role of power are particularly significant in light of this historical experience: 'Everyone can see that the world has completely changed today and that the factor of power has come to the fore. We were not the ones who introduced the principle that 'might makes right.' But we have to reckon with the existing realities, and of course, we do.'

Simultaneously, Baku does not regard military power as a substitute for the peace agenda. The President stressed that a peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is underway, and Azerbaijan seeks lasting peace. He made it clear that for Baku, peace does not mean forgetting the past: 'Yes, there is peace today and the war has stopped. A peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is under way, and I am confident that it will be long-lasting. At least, this is the position of the Azerbaijani state. But we will never forget the atrocities committed against us, against our people.'

The Karabakh issue over 30 years demonstrated that when international law is not supported by political will, its principles can remain unimplemented for decades. Azerbaijan ultimately achieved the restoration of its territorial integrity not through international mechanisms but through its own strength. President Ilham Aliyev's remarks highlight this reality: Azerbaijan succeeded in securing the outcome it had sought for years, restoring its territorial integrity and changing the imposed status quo. The Karabakh experience serves as a lesson for Baku's future state policy: the most reliable guarantee of sovereignty is a state's ability to defend and, when necessary, restore it.