The President of Azerbaijan during an interview addressed the Armenian residents of the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, as well as the citizens of Armenia. Ilham Aliyev drew the attention of Armenian citizens to the fact that Baku wants peace with Yerevan.
"Another message to them is to clearly realize the current geopolitical situation and the balance of forces. For many years, leaders of Armenia were persuading their people that they have the strongest army in the world, that if the war starts they will come to Baku. The war destroyed those narratives," the Azerbaijani leader said.
The President of Azerbaijan also stressed that in Azerbaijan doesn't want another war either today or ever in the future.
Address to Armenians in Karabakh
Ilham Aliyev urged Armenians in Karabakh should not follow their so-called leaders, which were lying to them all the time.
"The Karabakh Armenians should understand that being part of the Azerbaijan society with security guarantees, we understand it, with their rights, including educational, cultural, religious, municipal rights, they will live normal life. They will stop to be a hostage of manipulation," Ilham Aliyev said.
Russia and Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev also touched upon Baku-Moscow ties. He described Russian-Azerbaijani relations as balanced.
"Our relations with Russia were already balanced. They were based on recognition of each other's national interests and of course, territorial integrity and sovereignty," the Azerbaijani president noted.
Prospects for a peace agreement with Armenia
The head of state stressed that if Yerevan finally put down aspirations to contest the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, then a peace solution will be found soon.
"Main concentration on paragraphs of peace treaty is made by the ministers. Our meetings just create, I think, a good atmosphere. But if we see a constructive approach from Armenian side, and most important if they totally put down all their aspirations to contest our territorial integrity then we can find the peace solution very soon, maybe even by the end of the year," Ilham Aliyev said.
The Armenian-Azerbaijani border issue
At the same time, the president recalled that Armenia has obligation to allow Azerbaijan access to exclave Nakhchivan, but it is not happening. According to him, the meetings with the Armenian Prime Minister allow to touch upon very sensitive issues, like future parameters of the boundaries, because the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not been defined.
"Because as soon as the Soviet Union collapsed, we faced this aggression. So, how the border will look like? What will be the real situation on the ground? What will be situation with the communications? Because Armenia has obligation, which is signed as a result of the Second Karabakh War to allow us access to our exclave Nakhchivan. But still, it is not happening," the head of state stressed.
