Azerbaijani president at UN: “We won, both war and peace”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev delivered a landmark speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, highlighting Azerbaijan’s transformation into a confident, sovereign state that has secured both war and peace, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

“Azerbaijan has entered a new era,” the head of state declared. “We won, both war and peace. We ended the occupation and started reconstruction. Justice has triumphed, sovereignty has been consolidated, and peace is de-facto ensured. We stand prepared to share our positive experience.”

Reflecting on Azerbaijan’s decades-long struggle, President Aliyev recalled how he had previously spoken from the UN tribune about the tragedies of aggression and occupation. “Today, I will speak about our long road to victory and peace, and a new era in Azerbaijan’s history, about how we managed to end the occupation through a liberation war, and how we won peace by political means,” he said.

The President strongly criticised the OSCE Minsk Group, saying: “The OSCE Minsk Group, established in 1992 to facilitate a settlement of the conflict, has failed in its mission. Instead of enforcing the norms and principles of international law, its co-chairs sought to preserve the status quo and keep the conflict frozen.”

Aliyev reminded that “The 10 November 2020 marked the capitulation of Armenia and restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity after nearly 30 years of occupation.” He underlined that after victory, Azerbaijan demonstrated readiness to turn a new page. “Right after our victorious war, Azerbaijan declared its readiness to open a new page in relations with Armenia based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Speaking on the peace process, the President said: “We proposed five basic principles rooted in international law, we tabled the proposal for a Peace Treaty. Then we initiated a negotiation process on its draft text, which lasted from October 2022 to summer 2025. Despite several attempts to derail the process, the negotiations produced positive results, as they were conducted on a strict bilateral basis, free from any kind of external interference.”

On regional cooperation, Aliyev stressed: “Regional connectivity has been at the core of our vision for lasting peace. Another key outcome of the Washington Summit is the ‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’ (TRIPP), which will ensure unimpeded access through the Zangezur corridor and foster regional connectivity.”

The President also hailed a breakthrough in Azerbaijan-US ties: “Together with President Donald Trump, we signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments regarding the establishment of a Strategic Working Group to develop a Charter on strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States. It opens new horizons for partnership in political, economic, energy, regional connectivity, defense, security, and other fields.”

He called the waiver of sanctions under Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act “a historic step” and urged permanent removal by Congress: “The waiver by President Trump of the sanctions imposed on Azerbaijan in 1992, in the form of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, is a historic step as well. The permanent removal of Section 907 by the US Congress would eliminate a legacy of double standards and help strengthen trust and cooperation at a time when Azerbaijan is contributing to global security and stability.”

Addressing the devastation caused by Armenian occupation, Aliyev said: “During the occupation period, Armenia levelled to the ground hundreds of our cities and villages, deliberately destroyed 65 mosques. This was the policy of Armenia, which was ruled by war criminals for almost 30 years.” He noted progress with the Great Return Program: “We are rebuilding villages and cities razed to the ground. Under the Great Return Program, already more than 50,000 people live, work, and study in the liberated territories.”

He also drew attention to landmine contamination: “One of the gravest humanitarian challenges facing Azerbaijan in the post-conflict period is the threat posed by landmines planted during the time of Armenian occupation. Since November 2020, more than 400 Azerbaijani civilians and military personnel were killed or seriously injured by landmine explosions.”

On energy, President Aliyev stressed realism in green transition: “While being strongly committed to the green transition, we should not set unrealistic targets. The world cannot live without fossil fuels today and in the foreseeable future. Energy security is linked to peace, regional connectivity, and economic development. Azerbaijan continues to play an active role in advancing these objectives globally.”

“Azerbaijan also attracts large investments in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power,” said President Aliyev, adding that almost 40% of the country’s energy will be generated by renewables by 2030.

He noted Azerbaijan’s strategic role: “As of today, we are supplying natural gas to 14 countries. This ranks Azerbaijan as the top country in the world in terms of the number of countries it supplies with pipeline gas.”

On economic performance, the President stated: “Recently, two major international rating agencies (Moody’s and Fitch) have increased Azerbaijan’s ranking. This underscores our economic resilience, strong fiscal discipline, and favorable investment climate. Our foreign debt is only 6.5% of GDP, which is one of the lowest in the world. Azerbaijan’s foreign exchange reserves exceed its foreign debt almost 16 times.”

He also warned of the deteriorating state of the Caspian Sea: “Back in 2022 at the Summit of the Caspian Littoral States I raised the issue of environmental degradation of the Caspian Sea. Today situation is much worse. Caspian Sea is shrinking rapidly. The main reason is not climate change.”

Highlighting humanitarian assistance, Aliyev said: “Azerbaijan is proud of its global humanitarian assistance efforts. We are providing aid to countries affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and public health emergencies. Azerbaijan contributed to the COVID-19 response, donating and financing protective equipment, medical devices, and vaccines to over 80 countries in need.”

Concluding his address, the President called on the international community: “Let us together build a world without double standards, where justice is not selective, the rule of law is respected, and peace is achieved not through words alone, but through actions.”

By Vugar Khalilov