Aykhan Hajizada: 'By displaying unconstructive position, Armenia once again demonstrates its policy of self-isolation'

In an interview with Report, Aykhan Hajizada, the spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talked about the steps to be taken to achieve a lasting peace between Yerevan and Baku, the next meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries, the transport corridor between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the country's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, mine maps, France-Azerbaijan relations, the open delimitation process between Azerbaijan and Georgia, what BRICS membership will promise to Azerbaijan and a number of other issues.

- Azerbaijan and Armenia regularly exchange draft proposals that will form the basis of a peace treaty. What are the issues on which the parties could not come to a common ground in these draft proposals? In general, what is the latest situation in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process?

- After the 44-day Patriotic War, it was the Azerbaijani side that proposed signing an agreement on peace and establishment of interstate relations with Armenia on five basic principles. Talks between foreign ministers have been held since October 2022 on the initial draft proposed by Azerbaijan.

Additionally, there is a regular exchange of proposals and comments on the draft agreement between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Armenia. So far, 10 such exchanges have been organized. The last time, Armenia sent its comments at the end of August, about 70 days after Azerbaijan proposed comments in June. Overall, in the last few weeks, Armenian officials have only been making more contradictory statements in this regard. They distort the realities of the peace process and make relevant comments in this regard.

The Armenian side proposes that a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia be signed while maintaining the currently agreed provisions. However, Azerbaijan has stated several times that this is not an acceptable option. There is a rule for any draft agreement that nothing is considered agreed until everything is agreed. Negotiations on the draft are closed and details are not open to the general public. However, we can note that many provisions of the draft, about 80%, have been agreed upon so far, while some provisions have not been agreed upon, meaning there is no final agreement. But this does not mean that, as the Armenian side suggests, the agreement should be signed by removing the unagreed provisions from the draft. Because for the peace agreement to be sustainable and successful, a number of problematic issues between the two countries need to be clarified in the draft. There is a need to discuss the open provisions of the draft agreement. In general, for the draft agreement to be signed, Armenia must first make appropriate changes to its Constitution, which currently refers to the territorial claims against our country. As long as Armenia does not end the ongoing claims to our territories in its legislative acts, there can be no talk of true peace between the two countries.

- Is the next meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia expected to discuss unresolved issues, and where is this meeting scheduled to be held?

- The last meeting of foreign ministers was held in Washington on July 10, 2024, at the initiative and with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Prior to that, on May 10-11, 2024, talks were held between the foreign ministers in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Within the framework of these meetings, the outstanding issues of the draft agreement were discussed and it was stated that it is necessary to continue the negotiations on the draft. However, there is currently no decision on the place and date of the next meeting on the peace agreement. We can only say that Azerbaijan has always been an interested party in the continuation of the negotiation process.

- We would also like to know about the Zangazur corridor. Is the opening of the corridor looking possible? If it does not seem possible at this stage, what are the obstacles?

Azerbaijan has consistently been a proponent of opening up communication lines in the region. For a long time, efforts have been made to advance this process within the framework of the trilateral statement. Armenia, regardless of its public statements, has undertaken certain obligations in this regard.

The 9th clause of the trilateral statement clearly outlines Armenia's obligations and how control over transport links will be organized. However, for nearly four years, Armenia has failed to fulfill its written and signed commitments regarding the opening of communications connecting Azerbaijan's western regions with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Azerbaijan has always been interested in implementing relevant infrastructure and transport projects in the liberated territories and continues to work in this direction. In contrast, Armenia has only attempted to hinder this process over the past four years.

In response, Azerbaijan has been working on preparing alternative options for opening communication projects. The agreement reached on the construction of a highway and railway through the territory of Iran, which will provide Azerbaijan with access to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and the ongoing work in this regard, once again demonstrates that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan is making a positive contribution to the development of transport corridors in the region.

If the Armenian side is truly interested in opening up communications in the region, it must fulfill its undertaken obligations. By displaying an unconstructive position, Armenia once again demonstrates its policy of self-isolation.

- What is the state of Armenia giving mine maps to Azerbaijan? Is there any progress in this regard?

Azerbaijan which suffered from the landmine threat during the military occupation of its territories by Armenia for nearly 30 years and in the post-conflict period, has consistently kept the issue of combating the landmine danger on the agenda. Clearing the territories of mines is one of the main conditions for the safe return and living of civilians in the post-conflict period.

Even after the 44-day Patriotic War and the end of the conflict, Armenia has used the Lachin road for illegal purposes, including the continuation of the landmine threat, contrary to its obligations. The discovery of more than 2,700 anti-personnel mines which were manufactured in Armenia in 2021, in the territories of Lachin and Kalbajar districts in 2022 confirms this fact. In September 2023, the discovery of more than 500,000 mines buried in the Azerbaijani territories temporarily deployed by Russian peacekeeping forces and along the perimeters of these territories after anti-terror measures is one of the facts proving the scale of this threat. This also demonstrates that there is no basis for Armenia's statements over the past decades that mines have not been produced and exported.

As a result of the continued landmine threat by Armenia, 377 Azerbaijanis have become landmine victims in the post-conflict period, with almost daily mine explosions. Of them, 69 people, including 54 civilians and 15 military personnel, have been killed. One of the main conditions for putting an end to such incidents and eliminating the landmine threats is for Armenia to hand over the mine maps.

The geography of the landmine incidents that have occurred so far, with most of them occurring outside the former line of contact, especially in places where civilian facilities, settlements, and cemeteries are located, proves that Armenia's landmine threat is deliberately aimed at causing high casualties among the civilian population.

Despite repeated calls by our country to put an end to this threat by providing maps of mined areas by Armenia, this country has long denied the existence of such maps. The reliability of the information covering a small part of the mined areas presented as a result of pressure from the international community was only 25%. More than 55% of recent mine incidents have occurred outside the areas covered by the information provided.

We regularly call on the international community to provide mine maps by Armenia, as well as to take consistent measures to support the elimination of the mine threat in Azerbaijan. This issue is regularly kept on the agenda in multilateral and bilateral formats.

- Against the background of all these processes, we would like to know if any relations are being established with Armenia regarding COP29? At what level is Armenia expected to participate in this event?

Last December, Armenia agreed to support Azerbaijan's bid to host the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In exchange, Azerbaijan backed Armenia's candidacy for the Eastern Europe Group's seat on the COP Bureau.

As November approaches, Baku is gearing up to welcome tens of thousands of participants to COP29, where the future of our planet in the face of climate change will be discussed. Invitations have been sent to all countries, including Armenia, to join the crucial summit.

However, it remains unclear whether the Armenian delegation will attend the event in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has not provided a definitive answer regarding Armenia's participation.

- There are points of interest in relations between Azerbaijan's neighbors and Georgia. For example, the demarcation process between Azerbaijan and Georgia has not yet been completed. Where the negotiations regarding the process are at the moment?

The relationship between Azerbaijan and Georgia has flourished for centuries, nurtured by a spirit of friendly neighborliness and mutual understanding. It is heartening to witness the successful development and enrichment of our partnership, which is built on a foundation of mutual trust and support.

The strategic transport, energy, and infrastructure projects that we jointly implement not only serve the interests of our countries and peoples but also play a crucial role in the wider region, opening up invaluable opportunities.

Regarding the process of border delimitation and demarcation, it is worth noting that this is a time-consuming matter. Since 1996, a relevant commission between the two countries has been working on delimitation, and to date, 2/3 of the borders are considered agreed upon.

We believe that there are no disputed issues on the Azerbaijan-Georgia borderline, but rather issues that have not been agreed upon. This is natural, as the border issue is important and complex for any state.

The borderline should be determined in such a way that it does not need to be revisited. Work in this regard is currently ongoing.

- Armament of Armenia is one of the issues on the agenda today. One of the countries that provides the main support to this process, perhaps the first, is France. In general, the relations between Azerbaijan and France are not encouraging at all. French officials often express anti-Azerbaijani opinions in their interviews, etc. Do you think there is a solution to this tension?

France's blatant anti-Azerbaijan position during and after the 2020 Patriotic War is deeply disappointing. France's actions seriously undermine efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on sovereignty and territorial integrity, contributing to escalating tensions.

France's initiatives against Azerbaijan at the UN Security Council, European Union, Francophonie organization, and other international platforms have proven its claims of being a neutral mediator to be entirely baseless. Despite France's accusations against Azerbaijan, our steps and official statements in response to France have only been in response to this country's destructive activities.

As we have repeatedly stated, strengthening the military potential of Armenia, which kept part of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan under occupation for nearly 30 years and continues to make territorial claims against our country and other neighbors, is a threat to peace and stability and will serve Armenia's destructive activities in the region.

Armenia and France must end their policy of armament and militarization in the region, and these countries must finally understand that there is no alternative to peace and cooperation in the region.

Despite the smear campaign against Azerbaijan, dialogue channels have always been kept open on our side. We expect the French side to refrain from actions against Azerbaijan and put an end to its policy against us that undermines regional stability.

- One of the main topics of recent attention in Azerbaijan's foreign policy is the bid for BRICS membership. What does joining BRICS promise to Azerbaijan?

BRICS, an international intergovernmental cooperation platform, has been operating for approximately 18 years. Currently, the member states of BRICS include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The organization encompasses over 30% of the world's territory, approximately 43% of its population, and 26% of its GDP. The member states possess vast natural resources, large domestic markets, and labor reserves, with several members having high-tech industries.

BRICS brings together countries that are members of international and regional structures such as the UN Security Council, G20, Non-Aligned Movement, African Union, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. With all these factors, BRICS has become a significant force in the system of international relations.

Cooperation within the BRICS framework is based on the principles of non-interference in internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefit. BRICS documents express the determination to work together for the establishment of peace and security in the world based on the principles of sovereign equality of states, non-interference in each other's affairs, respect for territorial integrity, and the norms and principles of international law.

There are a wide range of cooperation areas within the BRICS framework. In general, cooperation is carried out in three main areas: political and security, financial and economic, and cultural and people-to-people relations. BRICS has various institutions, working groups, and cooperation mechanisms, ranging from banking and financial institutions to the Academic Forum and Think Tanks Council.

The areas of BRICS cooperation include combating threats and challenges such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, illicit drug trafficking, cybercrime, climate change, and the difficulties of the post-pandemic period.

Azerbaijan, as a reliable partner in the region, continues to contribute to the maintenance of international and regional peace and security and develops cooperation towards strengthening the rule of international law. To this end, cooperation is being developed and deepened on many international multilateral platforms.

Azerbaijan officially applied for BRICS membership on April 2nd of this year, sending its application to the organization's chair. In addition to Azerbaijan, more than 30 countries have applied to join the organization. The representation of countries with significant weight in the world economy and different geographies in the organization indicates the growing interest in BRICS, and Azerbaijan is one of the interested parties.

- In February of this year, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Afghanistan, Ilham Mammadov, presented the official letter regarding the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Kabul to the country's foreign minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. What are the changes in Azerbaijan-Afghanistan diplomatic relations after the Taliban regime came to power?

Afghanistan was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on November 16, 1994. The Embassy of Afghanistan in Azerbaijan has been operating since November 2012. The decision of the Milli Majlis on the establishment of the embassy of our country in Afghanistan was adopted on December 30, 2020. Ilham Mammadov was appointed the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Afghanistan and on February of this year, he presented the official letter regarding the opening of the Azerbaijani embassy in Kabul to the foreign minister of this country, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have had large-scale cooperative relations for many years. We believe that the opening of our embassy will open new prospects for cooperation in various fields and relations will develop further.

- Is it expected to open new embassies and consular services of Azerbaijan in other countries?

The leadership of Azerbaijan has always placed great importance on strengthening the country's missions in foreign countries. In addition, increasing the number of diplomatic missions in countries of significance to Azerbaijan has been a top priority.

In 2023, the establishment of new diplomatic missions has continued. Azerbaijan has opened an embassy in Slovakia (Bratislava) and celebrated the opening ceremony of its embassy in Israel (Tel Aviv) on March 29, 2023. Furthermore, Azerbaijan's Representative Office in Ramallah, Palestine, has commenced its operations.

Overall, the total number of Azerbaijani diplomatic missions abroad has reached 91. This year, Azerbaijan has also appointed ambassadors to Oman and Thailand, who have already started their duties.

- Lastly, we would like to know about the Schengen visa. Citizens of Azerbaijan regularly complain about the artificial difficulties they face in obtaining a Schengen visa on social media platforms. Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan conduct any negotiations and consultations with the embassies of the EU countries in order to facilitate the situation for ordinary citizens?

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Azerbaijan is well aware of the challenges faced by Azerbaijani citizens when applying for visas, particularly for travel to Schengen countries. The issues have been repeatedly raised by Azerbaijan through the Joint Visa Facilitation Committee established under the "Agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union on the facilitation of the issuance of visas" signed on November 29, 2013, as well as during bilateral meetings and consular consultations with EU member states.

According to Article 7, paragraph 1 of the aforementioned agreement, the diplomatic missions and consular posts of the countries party to the Agreement shall make a decision on the request to issue a visa within 10 calendar days of the date of the receipt of the application and documents required for issuing the visa. Furthermore, as per paragraph 3 of the same article, if applicants are required to obtain an appointment for the submission of the application, the appointment shall, as a rule, take place within a period of two weeks from the date when the appointment was requested.