BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. The peace process, launched between Azerbaijan and Armenia a year ago, yields real results today, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
According to him, following the agreement reached in Washington a year ago, the Joint Declaration issued by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the U.S. outlined the results of the past 12 months in the peace process. The document not only mentions the agreements reached a year ago, but also lists specific steps taken to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, form new transport links and economic cooperation in the region.
In this context, the main importance of the declaration is that it reveals practical results achieved over the past year, rather than its political message. The process that began in Washington has no longer remained within the framework of diplomatic negotiations, but has begun to turn into real projects that affect the economic and transport map of the South Caucasus.
"The agreements reached a year ago at the White House with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan created an important stage in the direction of the political end of the long-standing conflict. The Joint Declaration shows that since that day, the main attention has been focused on how to consolidate the results of peace. The steps taken to maintain stability on the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia, normalize relations, and delimit the borders are the main indicators of this," he noted.
According to him, one of the most important changes is the beginning of the formation of economic relations between the two countries.
"According to the declaration, over the past year, approximately 60,000 tons of cargo were transported from and to Armenia from the territory of Azerbaijan, while Armenia purchased 20,000 tons of oil products from Azerbaijan. These figures may not seem large at first glance. However, against the background of economic and transport relations that have been established for many years, their political significance is even greater because for peace to be sustainable, political agreements need to be transformed into daily economic relations," he said.
Garayev pointed out that the Joint Declaration draws special attention to the work done to implement TRIPP.
"This project has a broader meaning than restoring connectivity between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The creation of the route can change the transport map of the South Caucasus, strengthen regional connections passing through Azerbaijan, and open up new transit opportunities for Armenia. The declaration notes that engineering surveys in Armenia are underway, and Azerbaijan has nearly completed in its territory a highway and railroad to connect to TRIPP with Armenia. This shows that the idea, set out in a political document a year ago, has already become an infrastructure project. The importance of TRIPP isn't limited to Azerbaijan and Armenia. When the project is connected to the Middle Corridor, it can become one of the routes that more closely connect the South Caucasus between Central Asia and Europe," the analyst said.
He emphasized that another important result of the past year is the change in the role of the U.S. in the region. Washington is no longer acting only as a political mediator, but also as a supporter of regional economic projects and connections.
"The Joint Declaration states that the U.S. has allocated $201 million to the Trans-Caspian Entrepreneurship Fund. The fact that these funds are being directed to attracting private sector investments along the Middle Corridor demonstrates Washington's greater interest in the economic potential of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. This process is especially important for Azerbaijan, because in recent years, the country has built serious infrastructure to become one of the main regional logistics centers located at the intersection of the East-West and North-South transport corridors. Restoring connectivity with Armenia can further expand these opportunities," Garayev said.
According to him, one of the most important messages of the Joint Declaration is that peace is no longer considered only as the absence of conflict, but as the creation of economic opportunities.
"Azerbaijan's unilateral lifting of transit restrictions with Armenia and the start of mutual cargo transportation are among the first examples of this. The internet agreement signed between telecommunications operators also shows that relations are not limited to transport and trade alone. Thus, over the past year, the contours of a new stage in Azerbaijani-Armenian relations have been formed. Stability on the border, restoration of transport links, trade and energy cooperation, telecommunications relations - all this creates the institutional and economic pillars of peace," he said.
Garayev noted that, however, the results achieved within a year aren't the final point. On the contrary, a more difficult stage - the full and sustained implementation of the agreements reached - is now beginning.
"The fact that the U.S., Azerbaijan, and Armenia reaffirmed their support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction of the countries at the end of the Joint Declaration is also significant in this regard because lasting peace is possible not only with political will, but with the strengthening of mutual trust and practical cooperation with long-term mechanisms.
While a year ago, the main issue in Washington was to pave the way for a political solution to the long-term conflict, today, the agenda is to bring real economic benefits to the region. 60,000 tons of cargo transportation, establishment of energy and telecommunication connections, work towards the implementation of TRIPP, and attraction of new investments in the Middle Corridor show that peace is no longer just a matter of diplomatic documents.
This is where the real result comes in. Decades of conflict in the South Caucasus are gradually being replaced by an agenda of connectivity, trade, and cooperation. If this process is continued consistently, the step taken in Washington a year ago can be considered as a turning point not only in the history of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, but in the economic development of the region as a whole," the analyst concluded.
