UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday said there already exists “de facto peace” between his country and Armenia, but a formal treaty is needed to finalize the normalization of bilateral ties, his office said in a statement.
“But in order to bring this process to a logical end, a peace treaty must be signed and Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan end,” Aliyev told a meeting with Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong in Baku.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Azerbaijan liberated most of the region during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement, opening the door to normalization.
Last September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered. The two sides also swapped prisoners of war in December.
Aliyev said Armenia still claims Azerbaijani territory in official documents such as its Constitution, adding that peace could be achieved if Yerevan stops making the claims and makes changes to its legal documents.
“Stating the importance of this to be implemented in Armenia as soon as possible, the head of state emphasized that the initiation of internal discussions on this issue in Armenia is considered a positive step and it can create a good opportunity for the peace process to be concluded soon,” the statement read.
- Relations with PACE
Turning to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's (PACE) decision not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation on the opening day of PACE’s 2024 winter session, Aliyev said he may also reconsider the country's participation in the Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights.
"The rights of the Azerbaijani delegation must be restored. If the rights of the Azerbaijani delegation are not restored, then the issue of participation in the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights will also be reviewed by the Azerbaijani side," he said.
According to him, this step "does not promote dialogue" and "generally contradicts the traditions of the parliamentary platform."
On Jan. 25 the PACE resolved not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, accusing it of not fulfilling the organization's principles, persecuting the opposition and rights violations in Karabakh.