BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 15
By Leman Zeynalova, Jani Babayeva - Trend:
A year has passed since the signing of a trilateral statement by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and the prime minister of Armenia, which stopped the bloodshed in Karabakh [second Karabakh war in 2020], Trend reports.
This statement means historic victory of Azerbaijan and the defeat of Armenia. The task that international organizations failed to do during 30 years was carried out by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev within 44 days [from late Sept. to early Nov.2020].
The signed statement took into account all the requirements that Azerbaijan insisted on. The prime minister of Armenia had to accept Azerbaijan's conditions. After 30 years, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was restored. Besides, according to this document, three districts of Azerbaijan - Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin were liberated from the Armenian occupation without bloodshed.
According to the Russian political analyst, candidate of historical sciences, scientific director of the Center for Ethnic and International Studies of the Russian Federation Anton Bredikhin, the signing of the trilateral statement was a very important step in establishing peace, harmony and mutual understanding in the region.
"From this day a new epoch has begun, a new era for the South Caucasus. It’s important that this date served as a point for the economic and transport reformatting of the region as a whole,” Bredikhin said.
“The Zangazur corridor should act as a very defining point within the framework of the peace agreement. It will have geopolitical significance and connect not only the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan [its exclave], but also Azerbaijan with Turkey, and respectively, there will be a direct road from Istanbul to Baku. This corridor fits even more into the strategic system - the North-South transport corridor between Russia and Iran, and will raise trade to a very significant level,” he noted.
“It’s important that Armenia will receive many benefits within this format, and this issue should be discussed, become part of a peace treaty, or some other document that will be signed between the parties. Of course, transport is the area that made it possible to transform the conflict into the success of mutually beneficial cooperation," added the analyst.
Azerbaijan has already entered a new stage of development. The liberation of its lands from nearly 30- year occupation means the revival of life on the formerly occupied lands. At present, intensive reconstruction and restoration work is underway in Karabakh and East Zangazur.