Baku: President Ilham Aliyev has revealed that Armenia sought to include a provision on Karabakh in the peace agreement following the Second Karabakh War, which left a gap in future relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, APA reports. During an interview discussing his recent visit to the United States, President Aliyev highlighted the challenges faced in the negotiation process.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev stated that the OSCE Minsk Group found itself nearly paralyzed post-conflict. Azerbaijan had resolved the Karabakh conflict through military and political means, aligning with international law. The President emphasized Azerbaijan’s proactive role in initiating the peace treaty, despite an initial lack of response. The negotiation process, however, faced hurdles primarily due to Armenia’s insistence on including a Karabakh provision, a stance Aliyev described as lacking legal and political basis.

President Aliyev explained the Azerbaijani perspective, asserting that Karabakh is an internal matter and should not be part of an intergovernmental agreement. Despite persistent efforts to convey this to the Armenian side, Armenia remained steadfast. Subsequent meetings in Brussels, facilitated by the President of the EU Council, failed to resolve this fundamental issue. It wasn’t until the 2023 anti-terrorist operation that Armenia acknowledged the realities, leading to a more active negotiation process. President Aliyev noted that in recent months, both parties have agreed upon all articles of the peace agreement, marking a significant historical development for the South Caucasus.