BAKU - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in a detailed interview with Al Jazeera on October 2, 2020, articulated his views on the protracted conflict with Armenia, emphasizing the challenges to peace and Azerbaijan's position on the international stage.
According to Trend News Agency, during the interview, President Aliyev expressed frustration over the unresolved status of the conflict, attributing the stagnation primarily to Armenia's reluctance to return occupied lands and comply with international resolutions. "The main reason [the conflict] lasted so long is Armenia's unwillingness to change the status quo and their continued occupation of our lands despite United Nations Security Council resolutions demanding their withdrawal," Aliyev stated.
The interview covered the spectrum of issues influencing the conflict, including the role of international mediators and the lack of enforcement of international laws, which Aliyev believes emboldens Armenia's non-compliance. He criticized the Minsk Group, facilitated by the OSCE, for its 28 years of ineffectiveness in resolving the situation.
President Aliyev also responded to allegations of starting the conflict, clarifying Azerbaijan's defensive response to Armenian provocations, including the July attacks far from the conflict zone which resulted in Azerbaijani casualties. He outlined a series of military engagements initiated by Armenia, which escalated tensions, leading to significant military actions in late September.
On the negotiation front, Aliyev lamented the destructiveness of Armenia's approach, particularly after the so-called velvet revolution in Armenia, which he argued had hardened Yerevan's stance on territorial issues. He dismissed the possibility of productive negotiations with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, citing Pashinyan's declaration that "Karabakh is Armenia," which Aliyev views as a direct contradiction to the negotiation process aimed at returning occupied territories to Azerbaijani control.
The Azerbaijani leader underscored the necessity of Armenian withdrawal from occupied territories as a precondition for ceasing hostilities and highlighted the disparities in international responses to conflicts depending on geopolitical interests. He called for a more consistent application of international law, noting that resolutions applicable to other global conflicts are often implemented swiftly, whereas resolutions regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remain unenforced.
Throughout the interview, Aliyev reiterated Azerbaijan's commitment to a peaceful resolution through diplomatic means, provided that there is an earnest international effort to compel Armenian compliance with existing agreements and U.N. resolutions.