BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. The meetings related to the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace agenda continue Trend reports.
The meeting was held within the framework of President Ilham Aliyev's participation in the 'European Political Community' summit in Prague. The quadrilateral meeting was organized with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev, President of the Council of the European Union Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of France Emmanuel Macron.
Overall, the EU and Charles Michel personally have played a leading role in holding meetings and organizing a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia to normalize relations in the post-war period. The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia have met four times at the initiative of EU Council President Charles Michel since the Second Karabakh War. In addition, Charles Michel at various times held phone talks with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the peace agenda.
The successful Brussels format and Armenia's obstacles to peace.
President Ilham Aliyev announced Azerbaijan's support for the Brussels format during his bilateral meeting with Charles Michel in Prague. The meetings held in Brussels with the participation of Charles Michel in the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations were noted as important. President Ilham Aliyev thanked Charles Michel for his mediation mission.
Positive messages after bilateral and trilateral meetings held at the initiative of EU Council President Charles Michel, as well as discussions based on the five basic principles proposed by Azerbaijan and forming the peace agenda, are among the factors that have contributed to the success of the Brussels format for Azerbaijan.
The statements made after the meetings are fully in line with Azerbaijan's interests. For example, the statements distributed after the meetings don't use the expressions 'Nagorno-Karabakh conflict' and 'status', and don't mention the OSCE Minsk Group and Armenians living in Karabakh are listed as an 'ethnic group' within Azerbaijan.
EU is the party interested in the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, the opening of transport-communication lines in the region and in particular in the construction of the Zangazur corridor. It's evident that meetings within the Brussels format are successful steps toward signing a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this regard, Azerbaijan isn't interested in changing the format of the trilateral meetings and any interference in this format. However, recent processes show that some of the interested forces are dissatisfied with the trilateral format, as they are afraid of being left out of the negotiation process. Therefore, they are trying to interfere in the process by all means.
In this context, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement at his meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in France that Armenians living in Karabakh may be involved in the negotiations as a 'party' is worth noting. Naturally, Pashinyan isn't voicing this on his own, but following the orders of interested forces to play the 'Armenian card'. And the fact that this statement was voiced in France puts into question the intention of French officials to really contribute to the peace process and frustrates its plans to take the initiative in the Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiations.
The 'trap' prepared for Azerbaijan at the Prague meeting and the principled position of President Ilham Aliyev.
Azerbaijan is well aware that some political structures, states, and pro-Armenian circles try to use the Armenian population of Karabakh as much as possible in order to secure their interests in South Caucasus. The statements made by President Ilham Aliyev at the National Urban Forum in Aghdam a day before his visit to Prague regarding the future of the Armenian population living in Karabakh were a strong response from Azerbaijan to the international players interested in changing the course of discussions within the Brussels peace agenda and trying to use the 'Armenian card' in the region for this purpose.
"Armenian population living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are its citizens, and the country will not discuss with any international center how to put their lives in order," President Ilham Aliyev said.
It is safe to say that with his speech in Aghdam President Ilham Aliyev foiled the plan of the forces which were trying to change the course of the discussions within the framework of the Brussels peace agenda.
In his interview with Azerbaijani journalists after the quadrilateral meeting in Prague, the Head of state once again touched upon the issue of the fate of Armenians in Karabakh.
"Already the whole world community realizes openly that Karabakh is Azerbaijan! Azerbaijan said it every time - during the occupation, during and after the war. Today the world community is not only aware of this truth, but also speaks about it. The Armenians living in Karabakh are Azerbaijani citizens, and Azerbaijan doesn't intend to discuss their fate and future with any country, including Armenia. It is Azerbaijan's internal affair," President Ilham Aliyev stated.
He noted that Armenians would have the same rights as Azerbaijani citizens. In any case, they can be sure that their life, a life integrated into Azerbaijani society, will be much better than the current one.
Thus, the plan of certain forces to include the issue of Armenians living in Karabakh in the discussions of Brussels format wasn't fulfilled.
Azerbaijan shows the forces wishing to interfere in the peace process that the real peace agenda is discussed at trilateral meetings held at the initiative of Charles Michel.
The fact that the meetings held in Brussels are of great importance on the way to peace is evidenced by the words of President Ilham Aliyev after the meeting in Prague.
"I hope that we are gradually approaching peace, and I highly appreciate the activities of Charles Michel in this field, as you know that trilateral meetings have been held several times in Brussels, and each time we are even closer to peace," Head of state said.
The fact that the statement adopted in Prague at the end of the meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Union Council Charles Michel and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan contains a paragraph on Armenia's recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is the logical result of the political will of President Ilham Aliyev and meetings in Brussels, held at the initiative of Charles Michel.
"Armenia and Azerbaijan, once again demonstrating their commitment to the UN Charter and the Almaty Declaration of 1991, recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other. The parties stated that this is the basis for the delimitation commission and the next meeting of the commission is to be held in Brussels at the end of October. Armenia has agreed to send an EU civilian mission to the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has also agreed to cooperate with the commission. The mission will start its work in October and will finish it within 2 months," the statement said.
Thus, Armenia, on the basis of the UN Charter, recognizes that Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan.
Another noteworthy point is the agreement that the joint border monitoring mission established at the initiative of the EU and France will operate within Armenia. Azerbaijan will cooperate with the mission in accordance with its interests, the border mission will support confidence building and border delimitation. The fact that this border mission will work in Armenian territory once again shows that the outcome of the meeting is in Azerbaijan's interests.
Although Armenia thought that the pro-Armenian position of France would influence the meeting in Prague, President Ilham Aliyev's firmness and principled stance during the meeting, which lasted over five hours, prevented any attempt to exert pressure on Azerbaijan in any form and foiled the pressure plans of Armenian and France on the country. Thus, Azerbaijan's interests were worthily protected by President Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan values its sovereignty, while Armenia is a country retreating under the pressure of international powers.
The approaching peace in the South Caucasus and Armenia's latest obstacles to peace.
On top of all this, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pulled a new ploy against Russia by agreeing to a border mission on Armenian territory. Russia has repeatedly stated its opposition to any foreign missions in the region. It seems that Pashinyan's attempt to trust France and achieve any diplomatic success in Prague will put Armenia in front of new dilemmas.
Armenia must realize that attempts to involve any global player in these processes will do it no good but rather will push its protectors face to face. The Brussels format is an ideal discussion platform for both Azerbaijan and Armenia, and these meetings can achieve successful results for both sides.
Obviously, as a result of President Ilham Aliyev's firmness and principled stance, any bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral meeting is successful for Azerbaijan and doesn't cause any changes in the position of Azerbaijani officials. Azerbaijan will achieve both the signing of a peace treaty and the establishment of long-term peace in the South Caucasus. The Armenian leadership is increasingly convinced of this after each meeting with President Ilham Aliyev in various formats.