On Wednesday, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry expressed its willingness to normalise relations with Armenia “on the basis of the principles of international law.” Foreign ministry spokesperson Leyla Abdullayev said that Baku was willing to make peace with its bitter rival on the condition that Yerevan respect “the sovereignty of states, territorial integrity, and inviolability of international borders.”
Abdullayev’s statement was in response to an interview given by Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Anna Naghdalyan to media outlets claiming that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev threatened to use force against its neighbour. Abdullayev further stated that Aliyev’s comments were grossly misinterpreted by the Armenian side and clarified that any use of force by Azerbaijan would only be in response to a clear threat from the other side.
Despite signing a ceasefire agreement to end last year’s war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, tensions between Baku and Yerevan have not subsided. One of the main reasons for this has been the issue of Armenian Prisoners of War (POWs) who are in Azerbaijan’s custody. Rights groups have accused Azerbaijani soldiers of torturing POWs. Armenia has also raised the issue at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which has called on Azerbaijan to “immediately return” the captured soldiers.
Both sides have also accused each other’s forces of deliberately destroying historical sites. Last month, the BBC released a video showing Azerbaijani forces destroying an Armenian church. UNESCO has also expressed serious concern regarding the destruction of heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed its willingness to send a mission to the region. Another major thorn in ties between both countries has been Armenia’s refusal to accept that it used Russian-made Iskander ballistic missiles in last year’s war, even though Azerbaijan has released evidence showing that ballistic missiles were used in Shusha city.
However, there has also been a concerted international effort to end hostilities between both sides. Russia played a major role in mediating a ceasefire to end the war and was part of a Trilateral Agreement signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 10 last year. Also, in January this year, the trio signed a statement related to the unblocking of economic and transport infrastructure in the region. Russia has also sent hundreds of its peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh following the end of hostilities.
In light of this, Azerbaijan’s statements calling for the normalisation of relations with Armenia come as a welcome change. Abdullayev also said that Aliyev was willing to cooperate with Yerevan “despite the genocide committed by Armenia against Azerbaijanis,” in a reference to the 1992 Khojaly massacre, which resulted in the mass murder of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenian forces.
Azerbaijan Ready to Normalise Relations With Armenia Based on International Law
The statement was made by Azerbaijan's foreign ministry in response to Armenian claims that President Ilham Aliyev has threatened to use force against its rival.
April 22, 2021
Azerbajani President Ilham Aliyev with his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan SOURCE: AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENCY