Rome: President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan was recently interviewed by Italian Rai 1 TV channel, where he elaborated on the ongoing conflict with Armenia and the prospects for peace. The Azerbaijani Army had launched a counter-offensive operation known as “Iron Fist” on September 27, 2020, which led to the conclusion of the second Karabakh war after 44 days, resulting in the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from nearly three decades of Armenian occupation.
According to Trend News Agency, President Aliyev highlighted that the success of a new ceasefire agreement relies heavily on Armenia’s behavior. He accused Armenia of violating previous ceasefires almost immediately after they were declared, citing specific instances where Armenian forces launched attacks shortly after ceasefires came into effect. Aliyev expressed hope that recent shelling incidents were accidental and stressed that Azerbaijan would respond if violations continue.
President Aliyev attributed the outbreak of hostilities at the end of September to Armenia’s attempts to disrupt negotiations. He accused Armenia’s new government of rejecting fundamental negotiation principles and stated that Armenia’s leadership had made statements undermining the peace process. Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan’s response was a reaction to Armenia’s provocations and expressed regret over the situation.
Discussing the conditions for halting hostilities, Aliyev called for Armenia to publicly accept the fundamental principles of the conflict resolution, which include the return of seven occupied districts and the resettlement of Azerbaijani refugees. He stated that Armenia must acknowledge these principles for a constructive approach to peace.
Addressing accusations from countries like France of sending mercenaries to Karabakh, Aliyev dismissed these claims as unfounded and lacking evidence. He criticized the co-chair countries of the Minsk Group for not remaining objective and pointed out that Azerbaijan has not resorted to overall mobilization unlike Armenia. Aliyev also refuted allegations of Turkish military involvement in Azerbaijan, explaining that Turkish F-16s were present due to joint exercises.
Aliyev expressed optimism about Italy’s potential role in resolving the conflict, citing Italy’s past leadership in the Minsk Group and successful examples of autonomy like Alto Adige/Sdtirol. He suggested that similar autonomy models could be applied to Nagorno-Karabakh, but lamented Armenia’s historical rejection of such proposals.
Finally, Aliyev envisioned a future where both Azerbaijanis and Armenians live peacefully in the Karabakh region. He highlighted the existence of mixed communities and businesses between the two nations in other countries as evidence of potential reconciliation. Aliyev called for Armenia to abandon aggressive policies and expressed confidence that peace and prosperity could be achieved in the region with mutual goodwill. However, he warned that Azerbaijan would reclaim its territories by any means necessary if peace efforts failed.