President Aliyev contrasts Trump, Biden approaches to South Caucasus

President Ilham Aliyev has criticised former U.S. President Joe Biden's approach to the South Caucasus while praising President Donald Trump's role in supporting the final stage of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum, Aliyev said previous U.S. administrations had sought to preserve, rather than resolve, the decades-long conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azertag.

“There's a big difference from what President Trump was doing and is doing, and his predecessors,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani president added: “because unfortunately during the times of occupation, which lasted for almost 30 years, American administrations, along with other co-chairs of then OSCE Minsk group, were mainly pursuing the policy of freezing the conflict, not liberating Azerbaijani territory based on resolutions of United Nations Security Council, which they themselves adopted. But their target was to freeze the situation and to use it as a leverage on Azerbaijan and also to a certain degree on Armenia.”

Aliyev said Trump's approach differed significantly from that of earlier administrations.

"President Trump's approach was quite different. He is a person who loves peace, a person who brings peace to many destinations, as he himself tells he brought peace to eight conflicts, and this is his character. This is his vision and his policy,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

The head of state emphasised: “So, in our case, his role was very important when Azerbaijan and Armenia were in the final stage of negotiations on a peace agreement. President Trump and his team they stepped in, and they created such a framework that peace became possible.”

Aliyev also criticised Biden's long-standing position on Azerbaijan.

"When President Biden was senator, he was one of the initiators to sanction Azerbaijan, and that was his vision towards the region. The region divided in conflicts and in confrontation, and it's easy always to achieve the goal,” President Ilham Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani president concluded: "But President Trump is absolutely different character, different person. He wants peace, and he sees peace as an opportunity. And now, when peace is already done between Azerbaijan and Armenia with a lot of opportunities."

By Sabina Mammadli