An interview with Azerbaijani Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has been published in the French magazine Revue conflits, which specializes in history, geopolitics and international relations.
AZERTAC reports that “Karabakh, what is the situation a year after the war? At the beginning of the text “Interview with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to France Rahman Mustafayev” the author said that he remained neutral and a year after the war he interviewed the ambassadors of both sides – Azerbaijan and Armenia to France.
In an interview, Mustafayev said the conflict had already been resolved, adding that the conflict had been resolved legally after the trilateral statement signed between Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia. The withdrawal of the UN Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan has been ensured. He noted that today the region has entered a new stage of peace-building, reconciliation and reconstruction.
He stressed that the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” no longer exists. Today, the former conflict zone consists of 11 regions, Karabakh and East Zangazur economic zones. In political terms, negotiations should be held between Armenia and Azerbaijan to conclude a peace agreement between the two countries. The return of 750,000 IDPs to their homes is a key priority. The main obstacle to the return of IDPs is the Armenian mines. Armenia does not provide mine maps, and its maps contain numerous errors and uncertainties.
The once occupied territories have suffered a real disaster. In many areas, lands and rivers have been polluted, forests have been burned, our cultural treasures and cemeteries have been destroyed. All towns and villages were destroyed. Therefore, the second major issue is reconstruction. Cities must be rebuilt, civil and public buildings, as well as infrastructure – power lines, railways, airports – must be rebuilt. The reconstruction budget for this year is $ 1 billion.
Noting that one of the main priorities is a humanitarian call, it was noted that about 3,900 Azerbaijanis are still unaccounted for as a result of the First Karabakh War. It was said that the Armenians did not fulfill their international humanitarian legal obligations. The fate of missing Azerbaijanis must be reported.
Another issue is that during the Second World War, many war crimes were committed – crimes against civilians and the army. Natural resources such as gold, copper mines and some water resources in the Kalbajar region have been illegally exploited. International legal measures will be taken to prosecute foreign companies involved in these illegal activities.
The issue of reconciliation between Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in the former conflict zone was also touched upon in the interview. It was stated that they are Azerbaijani citizens of Azerbaijani and Armenian origin. For this, it is important to rebuild cultural, humanitarian and social ties.
“Our goal is to rebuild Karabakh as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious region,” he said.
The diplomat also spoke about the 3 + 3 model put forward by Azerbaijan for regional cooperation. He stressed the importance of signing a peace agreement.
Regarding the role of France, it was noted that France can play an important role in the demining of our territories, reconstruction, the fate of missing persons, the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries. It is said that France is preparing to take certain steps to clear the mine. French companies have experience in the field of reconstruction. France can also help with the missing, as it has strong and close relations with Armenia. France can force Armenia to answer our questions about the fate of people missing during the 1992-1994 war.
Finally, France can play a major role in drafting a peace agreement based on the principles of international law. In all cases, France must demonstrate an impartial and objective position.
Regarding the monuments of cultural and religious heritage in the region, it was noted that Azerbaijan’s position on this issue is based on international law, in particular, the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. In 1992-2020, numerous cultural property of Azerbaijan was destroyed by the Armenian armed forces.
Azerbaijan has agreed to allow the UNESCO mission to travel to the region and assess the damage. To this end, a constructive dialogue is underway with UNESCO. We expect this mission to arrive in Azerbaijan as soon as possible and are ready to support their work and provide all necessary cooperation.
Source: AZERTAC