Basic principles for the establishment of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia
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By His Excellency, Ambassador Anar Huseynov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Greece and Albania
As it is known, as a result of the Patriotic War of 2020, Azerbaijan, guided by the resolutions of the UN Security Council, which remained unfulfilled for many decades, restored its territorial integrity. As a result of the war between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, on November 10, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021, relevant joint statements were signed providing for measures necessary for a long-term and full-scale settlement of the conflict based on international law. Despite the fact that a number of paras of these statements have been implemented, our calls for their full implementation and steps to be taken to sign a peace agreement between the parties have remained unheard for the past 15 months.
In view of this situation, on March 11, Azerbaijan proposed to Armenia the following basic principles for normalization of relations between the two countries:
– Mutual recognition of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders and political independence of each other;
– Mutual confirmation of the absence of territorial claims against each other and acceptance of legally binding obligations not to raise such a claim in future;
– Obligation to refrain in their inter-State relations from undermining the security of each other, from threat or use of force both against political independence and territorial integrity, and in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the UN Charter;
– Delimitation and demarcation of the state border, and establishment of the diplomatic relations;
– Unblocking of the transportation and other communications, building other communications as appropriate, and establishment of cooperation in other fields of mutual interest.
As we can see above, Baku’s proposals, in addition to common sense, are entirely based on international law.
Unfortunately, on a number of issues, Armenia not only forces Azerbaijan to take alternative steps, but also further contributes to its self-isolation in the region, avoiding cooperation with its neighbors. In this regard, I would like to note the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding between Azerbaijan and Iran in order to create new communication links – a transport corridor between the East Zangezur Economic Region and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan through the territory of Iran. In other words, for a given period of time, the transport corridor linking the two parts of Azerbaijan, but of a strategic nature for the entire region, will not pass-through Armenia, as provided for by the above tripartite statements, but through Iran. With all this in mind, for Azerbaijan, the corridor through Armenia is still relevant in terms of establishing cooperation with the neighboring country and its involvement in regional processes.
We are confident that both countries, guided by mutual interest, can conclude a bilateral peace agreement based on the above-mentioned principles through intensive, substantive and result-oriented negotiations.
