Azerbaijan took peace into its own hands as international mediation failed, president says

Building on his remarks on the prospects for peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the limitations of international mediation and the importance of taking matters into national hands to secure justice and stability as he addressed the panel session “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“All our hopes for international mediation totally collapsed. The United Nations Security Council, the highest international body, had at that time adopted four resolutions demanding the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from our territories, but they remained on paper,” Aliyev said, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

He added that while the OSCE and other international institutions issued numerous resolutions and decisions, none were implemented until Azerbaijan itself took decisive action. “We did it. We restored justice, international law, our territorial integrity, and our sovereignty. After that, we achieved peace,” he stressed.

Aliyev further emphasized that relying solely on external institutions is insufficient. “We should not rely on international institutions. I agree with Alexander [Vučić - ed.] that today our situation may be more severe compared to previous years,” he noted. “But I do not share his certain pessimism. Because if we take the situation under control, if we take sufficient commitments with respect to our national interests, then peoples can achieve success,” he added.

In a development highlighting growing regional connectivity, Aliyev revealed that Azerbaijan has received a request from Armenia to facilitate transit between Armenia and Russia. “We have received a request from the Armenian side to allow transit from Armenia to Russia,” he said. “We de facto, unilaterally opened the corridors for Armenia. Yes, currently the transportation is carried out through Georgia. But one day transit will be ensured directly from Armenia through Azerbaijan, and that day is not too far away,” he added, signaling a potential milestone in regional economic cooperation.

By Vafa Guliyeva