FM: Armenia’s revanchist sentiments pose threat to peace with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, discussed the ongoing obstacles to reaching a peace agreement with Armenia during a joint press conference with his Kazakh counterpart in Astana.

According to Bayramov, despite significant progress in the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan, several critical challenges remain in the path to lasting peace, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Bayramov pointed to Armenia's continued territorial claims over Azerbaijan, the country’s rapid militarization, and growing revanchist sentiments as the primary barriers. "Quite a long way has already been made in the process of normalization of interstate relations and signing a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Despite this, many obstacles remain on the way to lasting peace," Bayramov said. He further explained, “The main ones are Armenia’s territorial claims to Azerbaijan, the rapid militarization of this country, and growing revanchist sentiments.”

Bayramov also expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for its crucial role in the peace process, noting that Kazakhstan had provided a platform for negotiations aimed at normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. "This gesture shows that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the peace process between Baku and Yerevan," he stated.

In addition to the peace process, Bayramov took the opportunity to thank Kazakhstan and its people for their swift response following the tragic crash of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Flight 8243 near Aktau in December 2024. The flight, an Embraer 190AR en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed during an emergency landing attempt, resulting in 38 fatalities.

Bayramov emphasized Kazakhstan's prompt organization of the search and rescue operation, as well as the comprehensive support provided during the aftermath of the crash.

The tragic accident, which occurred on December 25, 2024, involved 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members. Initial investigations suggested that the aircraft had been struck by a Russian "Pantsir-S1" surface-to-air missile, which had been fired in an attempt to thwart a Ukrainian drone attack over Chechnya. Russian authorities initially downplayed the incident, but subsequent investigations confirmed the missile strike. Further findings from Caliber.Az on January 24 identified the individual responsible for firing the missile and the officer who had issued the order.

Bayramov also reminded those present of the close relationship between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the two countries share a deep cultural and historical bond. "Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are two friendly and brotherly countries with a common culture and traditions," he concluded.

By Tamilla Hasanova