A just and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is possible. But it requires a commitment to negotiation and mutual respect for international law. Sadly, President Aliyev is currently committed to neither.
The basis of a peace settlement seemed clear to all parties at the end of last year. It begins with talking. We continue to invite Azerbaijan to engage in all existing negotiation platforms. Talking is the sine qua non. Without it, there will be no peace. But there are other conditions too.
Both nations’ sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognised borders must be respected. No changes to borders should occur without mutual consent and adherence to legal processes set out in international law. There must be a commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means, rather than use of force or coercion.
This also means refraining from the threat of force. All economic blockades and other barriers should be lifted on the basis of sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity to allow for the free movement of goods, services and people. These are irreducible, baseline preconditions.
The involvement of international partners as guarantors of agreements should be welcomed. Peace talks should include disarmament processes and demilitarised zones; and be backed up by international guarantees from neutral states committed to international law.
The recent return to inflammatory rhetoric by the Azerbaijani leadership, notably in statements by President Aliyev in an interview on 10 January, constitutes a disturbing repudiation of these fundamental tenets of a tentative peace. It is in marked contrast to the constructive spirit of dialogue in the closing months of last year, which culminated in the humanitarian gesture of mutual detainee exchanges on 7 December.
Having agreed to them on three previous occasions (on 6 October 2022 in Prague, on 26 October 2022 in Sochi and, most recently, on 15 July 2023 in Brussels), Azerbaijan now appears to reject the principles for delimitation set out in the December 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.
These principles commit both parties to the borders established by the last maps of the USSR produced in 1974. Regrettably, Azerbaijan’s current position can only be interpreted as a threat to re-assert territorial claims over Armenia, which stands in stark contrast to the spirit of the peace negotiations and the norms of international law.
In his 10 January comments, President Aliyev labelled parts of Armenia as “historical Azerbaijani lands“, including our capital, Yerevan. This is a gross violation of international law, which he described as a mechanism “only for weaker countries”. His comments give the impression that Azerbaijan is seeking to impose its own version of peace, with no sign of compromise and an underlying threat of further conflict, rather than seeking common ground.
The refusal to withdraw Azerbaijani troops from sovereign Armenian territories further underlines this impression. Armenia has proposed the reciprocal withdrawal of troops as a confidence-building measure to prevent border skirmishes and escalation, yet this too was dismissed by President Aliyev.
Moreover, Armenia remains willing to enter into an arms control agreement with Azerbaijan, with monitoring mechanisms to foster stability and security in the region. Azerbaijan has rejected these proposals as a feature of the peace process.
President Aliyev’s discourse surrounding the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” is also mystifying. He is demanding unfettered passage across Armenia with no customs or any other control and with security arrangements involving a third state. These proposals impinge on Armenian sovereignty and disregard international norms for transport corridors. His demands are unprecedented and unworkable.
Any discussions about opening roads and borders have to be underpinned by the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction, reciprocity and equality. Regrettably, these principles have been violated by Azerbaijan, whose leadership has even expressed an intention to economically isolate Armenia.
In contrast, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has been actively pursuing the Crossroads of Peace project, which envisions a regional network connecting the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
It is our firm belief that peace cannot simply be imposed, but must be built on the principles of mutual respect and adherence to international law. If our nations are to coexist peacefully and securely, Azerbaijan must return to these principles unambiguously.
Varuzhan Nersesyan is Armenian Ambassador to the UK.
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