Azerbaijani official: Armenia ignores fundamental reason for decades of confrontation

Armenia must urgently address the territorial claim enshrined in its current Constitution concerning part of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory.

This statement was made by Elchin Amirbayov, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan, in an interview with writer and historian Carlo Marino for Faro di Roma and Eurasiaticanews, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

According to Amirbayov, by denying the relevance of this major obstacle to peace and choosing simplified, unrealistic approaches to sign an incomplete agreement at any cost, Armenia is ignoring the fundamental cause of decades of confrontation between the two countries.

“We are grateful to the Holy See for its interest in this matter and its support of the peace agenda proposed by Azerbaijan to normalize relations with our Armenian neighbours. As you may know, direct bilateral negotiations between our two countries to finalize the peace agreement have entered a critical final phase, and I am here to confirm Azerbaijan’s firm commitment to achieving a lasting, reliable, and irreversible peace with Armenia.

To achieve this goal, it is our sacred duty to ensure that the future peace agreement makes any return to territorial claims, aggression, or military conflicts completely impossible, even theoretically. Azerbaijan has suffered enough from this disaster and wants to prevent a recurrence of this scenario in the future,” Amirbayov emphasized.

He added that “the ball is now in Armenia’s court,” and Baku hopes that the historic opportunity to turn a tragic page in the relations between the two countries will not be missed.

The diplomat also noted that Azerbaijan’s location at the crossroads of East and West, along with its ability to “absorb and preserve” the values of both civilizations, allows it to play the role of a living bridge between different cultures and civilizations.

“Azerbaijan is perceived by both the East and the West as a natural platform for the much-needed intercultural and interreligious dialogue and interaction. Baku has already been recognized as one of the leading international platforms for hosting various high-level events, including summits, global forums, and conferences aimed at promoting and deepening dialogue between different cultures and religions,” Amirbayov said.

He believes this aspect contributes to Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the Holy See and can serve as a model for other countries.

“As a practical contribution to strengthening intercultural and interreligious dialogue, Azerbaijan has been engaged in a wide range of charitable activities for decades, funding numerous projects aimed at preserving the world’s cultural and religious heritage in various parts of the world. These projects constitute an important element of our bilateral relations and reflect the deep trust and mutual respect between Azerbaijan and the Holy See. <...> The practical cooperation between the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by Azerbaijan’s First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Pontifical Council for Culture of the Holy See, as well as the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, has been ongoing for more than a decade.

According to him, as a result of these years of cooperation, several important Roman catacombs, considered some of the most significant monuments for the Christian world, such as the Catacombs of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, have been restored and reopened. 

"We can also recall the restoration of numerous sarcophagi in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, monuments in the Vatican Museums, as well as some artifacts in St. Peter’s Basilica and the restoration of a large number of manuscripts in the Vatican Apostolic Library,” Amirbayov noted.

The president’s representative also spoke about current projects being carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

“By the end of the year, we expect the restoration work in the Catacombs of Commodilla to be completed. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Governorate of the Vatican State have signed a new agreement that will allow the restoration and strengthening of extensive ceiling decorations in the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, ensuring safe public access inside the Basilica,” Amirbayov concluded.

By Khagan Isayev