Azerbaijani FM highlights OSCE challenges, progress in Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov addressed key issues during his speech at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Valletta, Malta, highlighting concerns over the ongoing global crisis of multilateralism and security challenges.

Bayramov noted that violations of international law, along with the misinterpretation and selective application of international commitments, were at the heart of the diminishing trust in multilateral institutions, Caliber.Az reports.

He also emphasized the growing threat posed by transnational challenges, which threaten both security and stability.

A particularly pressing concern, Bayramov stated, is the rising ethnic and religious intolerance, discrimination, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism in Europe. He called on OSCE member states to uphold their international commitments and obligations within the organization. Bayramov underscored the need to respect the fundamental norms and principles enshrined in all OSCE documents, including the Helsinki Final Act, which enshrines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and the inviolability of their borders.

Bayramov also addressed the functionality of the OSCE, stating that “the OSCE structures related to the former Minsk process have become obsolete and irrelevant. Retaining these structures on paper violates financial regulations of the Organization. Accordingly, this situation needs to be rectified within the budget process," Bayramov asserted.

Turning to the situation in the South Caucasus, Bayramov provided an update on the progress in the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He highlighted the restoration of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that "peace has actually been restored." This, he said, creates new opportunities for establishing interstate relations. Bayramov revealed that Baku and Yerevan had successfully completed the delimitation and demarcation of part of their shared border through direct bilateral dialogue. The recently enacted Regulation regarding the joint activities of the respective border commissions will guide efforts to carry out the next phases of the delimitation work.

Bayramov further reported significant progress in drafting a bilateral agreement between the two countries, emphasizing that these achievements clearly demonstrate that direct bilateral negotiations are the best and only path forward in the normalization process.

However, Bayramov also highlighted unresolved issues that remain, notably the territorial claims to Azerbaijan in Armenia’s Constitution and other legislative acts. " Establishment of peace and good-neighborly relations cannot be sustainable and irreversible if recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan continues to be questioned in Armenia’s Constitution, and implementation of the bilateral agreement by Armenia remains contingent on domestic legal or political scenarios," Bayramov warned. He reiterated Azerbaijan's unwavering position on the matter, calling for reciprocal political will and responsibility from Yerevan.

In conclusion, Bayramov urged the international community to refrain from actions that might harm the ongoing peace process.

"At this critical juncture when there is a historic opportunity for Azerbaijan and Armenia to turn the page of confrontation and establish good-neighborly relations, all efforts must be directed at finalizing the normalization process on the basis of mutual respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Azerbaijan’s determination in this respect is intact and we expect reciprocal political will and responsibility on part of Armenia.

In the meantime, the wider international community also bears responsibility not to harm the ongoing process by refraining from provocative actions and fuelling tension, including here in the OSCE," he emphasized.

By Vafa Guliyeva