Azerbaijan rejects Armenia's 'unrealistic' peace proposal

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBULBy (AA) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday turned down Armenia's proposal to sign a peace deal based on only previously agreed-upon principles, calling it "unrealistic."

During a ceremony in Baku where he accepted the credentials of Belgium’s newly-appointed ambassador to the country, Aliyev said that the Armenian government's proposal to sign such a deal with provisions that have yet to be agreed upon is unprecedented, according to an Azerbaijani presidential statement.

During the occupation of the Karabakh region, one of the primary provisions agreed upon as part of peace treaties proposed by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Minsk Group was that "nothing could be agreed upon without all issues being agreed upon," Aliyev was quoted as saying in the statement.

"This was the position of the then-co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we continue to hold it. Unfortunately, some former Minsk Group members have changed their positions and now support Armenia's current unrealistic proposal," Aliyev added.

He also argued that while Yerevan has shown its willingness for peace by putting forth such proposals, Armenia is aware that these proposals will not be accepted.

"Despite all of this, the process continues," Aliyev said, stressing that negotiations between the two countries have been ongoing for two years and that patience, realism, and a commitment to peace in the South Caucasus region are required.

Relations between Baku and Yerevan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh -- a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization and the demarcation of their border.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh following an anti-terrorist operation after which separatist forces in the region surrendered.