Both Armenia and Azerbaijan already see practical benefits of peace: Aliyev
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan “is a reality” in remarks delivered via video link to the 8th Summit of the European Political Community in Yerevan. “First of all, I’d like to express gratitude to President António Costa for the invitation to address the EPC Summit,” Aliyev said, noting that he and Costa had agreed during a recent meeting in Azerbaijan that he would participate in the summit remotely.
Aliyev said he had supported the proposal to hold the May 2026 EPC summit in Armenia during a meeting with Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Tirana a year earlier. “In my turn I asked in order to preserve the balanced approach to hold one of the next summits in Azerbaijan,” he said, inviting EPC members to Azerbaijan in May 2028. “Armenia also supported our candidates. This is a clear indication that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a reality,” Aliyev said. “We live in peace for only nine months and we are learning to live in peace.”
Aliyev referred to the joint declaration signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and himself at the White House last August, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump. “For us, and I’m sure for our Armenian partners, the peace is done,” he said.
According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan had “unilaterally lifted all transit restrictions to Armenia imposed in the beginning of the 90s” after “de facto peace was achieved.” “Up to now, 28,000 tons of cargo to Armenia was delivered through the territory of Azerbaijan,” he said.
Aliyev added that Azerbaijan had also started exporting gasoline and diesel to Armenia “for the first time,” saying that 12,000 tons of oil products had so far been supplied. He also highlighted the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” saying the project would connect Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan and become part of the Middle Corridor. “Both Armenia and Azerbaijan already see the practical benefits of peace,” Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani president thanked the European Commission for its position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, but sharply criticized some European institutions. “One of them is the European Parliament and the other is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,” he said.
Aliyev accused the European Parliament of adopting “14 resolutions full of insults, lies about Azerbaijan” since May 2021. Aliyev also criticized the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, describing “double standards” as “a kind of a modus operandi for PACE.”
“Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has the same value as that of any other country, and in this issue double standards are unacceptable,” he said.
Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan’s parliament had decided on May 1 to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all areas and cease participation in the EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
“In conclusion, I’d like to congratulate Prime Minister Pashinyan with EPC Summit in Armenia,” Aliyev said, adding that “despite all the efforts of those who want to hinder the process, Azerbaijan is committed to peace agenda.”
“The remarks of my Armenian colleague clearly demonstrate that,” he added.
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