Zangilan: The remarks made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during his meeting on May 10 with families relocated to the first residential complex in the city of Zangilan once again demonstrated that the OSCE Minsk Group, which operated in the region for many years, in fact pursued a policy not of resolving the conflict, but of freezing it and legitimizing the occupation.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, political analyst Gabil Huseynli stated in a statement to APA that the President's speech once again clearly revealed the essence of the double standards existing in the system of international relations: 'During nearly 30 years of activity, the OSCE Minsk Group neither took real steps to eliminate the fact of occupation nor demonstrated a serious attitude toward Armenia's gross violation of international law. On the contrary, the activities of the Minsk Group co-chairs showed that they were interested in maintaining the status quo. The unresolved conflict had turned into a tool of influence for major powers in the South Caucasus. The remarks voiced by President Ilham Aliyev in Zangilan are another open expression of this truth at the level of the head of state.'

Gabil Huseynli emphasized that the co-chair countries of the Minsk Group - the US, Russia, and France - were not random states. All three are permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear powers: 'The main factor uniting these countries was geopolitical interests. These states defend international law only when it aligns with their own interests. If a decision corresponds to their political strategy, implementation mechanisms are immediately activated. But when it does not suit their interests, those decisions remain on paper for years. The fact that four UN Security Council resolutions related to Azerbaijani territories remained unimplemented for nearly 30 years is the clearest example of this. For years, President Ilham Aliyev has resolutely raised these issues at international platforms and openly exposed the policy of double standards pursued by major powers. The President has repeatedly stated that if international law does not function, then states are forced to secure their rights on their o wn. The 44-day Patriotic War was precisely the result of this reality. Azerbaijan implemented the UN Security Council resolutions through its own strength.'

The political analyst stated that the thesis repeatedly voiced for years by the Minsk Group co-chairs that 'the conflict has no military solution' was in fact a tool of pressure against Azerbaijan: 'The essence of that approach was to force Azerbaijan to come to terms with the occupation. Under the name of compromise, the co-chairs expected a defeatist position from Azerbaijan. At a certain stage, fictitious and dangerous terms such as 'Northern Karabakh' were even put forward. This was an approach aimed at fragmenting Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. International mediators also deliberately turned a blind eye to the destruction committed by Armenia during the occupation period. Our cities were being razed to the ground before their eyes, historical and religious monuments were being destroyed, and resources were being looted. An illegal settlement policy was being carried out in Karabakh. Large financial resources were flowing in from abroad. But the Minsk Group either remained silent about all of this o r limited itself to formal statements. This was not mediation, but open bias.'

The political analyst noted that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group were not interested in resolving the conflict: 'For many years, the visits made to the region had the character of diplomatic shows that produced no real results. These individuals were not interested in resolving the conflict. On the contrary, the prolongation of the process created political and material dividends for them. The co-chairs would periodically come to the region, make standard statements, and leave again. The institution of special representatives had effectively turned into a highly paid and privileged position. President Ilham Aliyev's message to the co-chairs after the war that 'there is no need for your services' was an indication of the principled position of Azerbaijani diplomacy. This was a very serious political message. Azerbaijan clearly demonstrated that there is no longer any need for ineffective and biased mediation. Because Azerbaijan became the side that resolved the problem, not the one that created it.'

Gabil Huseynli emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev's statement in Zangilan that 'there were very great pressures on us' demonstrates the kind of international pressure Azerbaijan faced during the 44-day war: 'During that period, the world's leading powers did not want Azerbaijan's victory for various reasons. Because Azerbaijan's victory was changing the political balance that had been shaped over many years. The fact of occupation was a tool of pressure for certain circles. Azerbaijan, however, dismantled this mechanism. As the President said, those who wanted to stop us were not ordinary states. They were nuclear powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council. Despite this, Azerbaijan achieved a historic victory thanks to political will, a strong army, and the unity between the people and the government. This victory was not only a military success. It was also a political response against double standards in the system of international relations. Azerbaijan demonstrated that if international la w is applied selectively, states must have the strength to restore their rights themselves.'

The political analyst believes that the OSCE Minsk Group has already become a symbol of a failed mediation institution in the history of diplomacy: 'This body will remain in history as an example of diplomatic hypocrisy, double standards, and colonial thinking. For 30 years, they did not resolve the conflict; on the contrary, they tried to preserve the status quo. But the will of the Azerbaijani people and the determined policy of President Ilham Aliyev overturned these plans. Today, the large-scale reconstruction and restoration work being carried out in the liberated territories and the return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands are the greatest indicators of Azerbaijan's historic victory. The President's meeting with families in Zangilan carries special symbolic meaning. Life is now being revived in lands that were once left in ruins. People are returning to their homes. This picture is also the most real and vivid proof of the failure of the Minsk Group and Azerbaijan's victory.'