Here are main remaining demands of Azerbaijan from Armenia.
Here are main remaining demands of Azerbaijan from Armenia.
By Tehran Tapdigov, Baku / Azerbaijan
Although all provisions of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been agreed upon, the two countries have still not sat down at the negotiating table. Naturally, agreeing on the terms of the agreement does not automatically mean peace. However, Azerbaijan’s desire for a meaningful and conclusive peace should be understood.
Baku’s main demands from Yerevan are as follows:
- Armenia must renounce territorial claims in its constitution against Azerbaijan;
- The OSCE Minsk Group must be dissolved.
It is clear how important these demands are for ensuring peace. Azerbaijani Member of Parliament Mushfig Jafarov also shared his views on the matter. The MP believes that new realities have emerged in the region.
“The Second Karabakh War in 2020 and the one-day anti-terror operation in 2023 resulted in the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and the end of separatism in the South Caucasus. As a result, completely new realities have emerged in the region. Undoubtedly, these new political dynamics are being shaped by Baku. These realities necessitate the establishment of peace, stability, and a climate of mutual cooperation in the region. Azerbaijan is fulfilling its responsibilities to this end. The fact that Baku immediately came forward with a peace initiative after the war is one of the clearest indicators of its humanitarian approach. Despite Azerbaijan’s continuous efforts and some progress in normalizing bilateral relations, a peace agreement has not yet been signed. The main reason for this is Armenia’s inadequate and inconsistent stance.”
Jafarov stated that although Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his team claim they are interested in peace, their actions tell a different story:
“A clear example of this is the official statements from Yerevan, which fail to address the peace agenda regarding the trial of Armenian-origin individuals in Azerbaijan. Although Armenia and Azerbaijan have recently reached an agreement on the final text of the peace treaty, it has not yet been signed. This is because disagreements remain on key issues. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly reiterated the state’s conditions for peace: Armenia must amend its constitution and the OSCE Minsk Group must be disbanded. Yerevan, in words, is ready to accept both demands. However, changing the constitution requires a referendum, and they argue that the outcome of such a vote is unpredictable.”
If Pashinyan and his administration are truly interested in long-term peace, they must accept Baku’s proposals, which are based on the principles of international law.
“Considering that if Armenia’s leadership truly wanted peace, it would have made it possible to hold a referendum within this period. A significant amount of time has passed since these two demands were put forward. Now that the positions of the two countries have become closer, delaying the process could destroy the chances for peace. The longer the signing of the peace treaty is postponed, the more external forces that want to hinder peace will get involved. Therefore, both sides must re-evaluate the agreed and remaining contentious points and take a step forward.”