BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia had been embroiled in a protracted conflict for 30 years, even before the two countries gained independence, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UK Elin Suleymanov said in an interview with Times Radio, dedicated to the historic meeting of August 8 in Washington, Trend reports.
"True, the active phase ended in 1994, followed by the war of 2020 and the special operation of 2023, but namely these decades shaped our perception of each other. Today, we have a real opportunity to leave the past behind, move beyond the conflict and finally become the neighbors and partners we should have been from the very beginning. I think this is extremely important.
Personally, as a diplomat, I was involved in this confrontation. I worked as part of the UN Refugee Committee, and I saw the fate of displaced persons. While in Azerbaijan, I talked to children born in exile. Today, I'm sincerely glad that they are returning home, and that peace awaits us ahead," the ambassador emphasized.
According to him, US President Donald Trump plays a special role in this process.
"There are two key factors here. First, Azerbaijan, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, managed to liberate the occupied territories, which became a turning point in resolving the conflict. Second, given the political mood in the world, it was important to have such an experienced peacemaker and negotiator as Trump. His personal participation became the crucial element. Thanks to him, the process received the necessary impetus," Suleymanov also said.
Commenting on Russia's role in resolving the conflict between Baku and Yerevan, its 'exclusion' from the process, as well as the trilateral statement, the diplomat noted that the statement was only temporary.
"The negotiations on the peace agreement, which hasn't yet been signed, were conducted directly between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The US didn't participate in drafting the text of the treaty. However, it was President Trump who invited the leaders to the White House and was present at the signing of the joint declaration. No one was excluded from the process.
Moreover, the results of the meeting in Washington are beneficial for Russia itself. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted in an interview with American television that Moscow is receiving direct rail links with Armenia and Iran for the first time. All these are generally positive changes.
Trump simply showed special initiative and personal interest, but if we put aside the ideological framework, is it not advantageous for Russia when there is no war nearby, when the economy is developing, when Azerbaijan and Armenia live in peace and there is no threat to security in the region?" Suleymanov explained.
Speaking about the final steps necessary for signing the peace treaty, the diplomat added that the only obstacle remains the Armenian constitution, which needs to be amended accordingly.
"The fact is obvious: the text of the agreement and the provisions of the Armenian constitution contradict each other. We expect that the Armenian neighbors will eliminate this contradiction, and as soon as there are no territorial claims against Azerbaijan left in their constitution, the peace treaty will be signed. Both sides are ready to move forward, and this is the second key factor for success," the ambassador concluded.
On August 8, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the United States Donald Trump, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration on the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia in Washington.
On the same day, Donald Trump announced the suspension of Section 907.
Besides, in Washington, as part of the meeting between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the US Donald Trump, and Prime Nikol Pashinyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan initialled the draft “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia” and signed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (on the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process, the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict discussed by the Minsk Conference, and the High-Level Planning Group).
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