Azerbaijan's military measures brought de facto peace to the region, says Hikmat Hajiyev

In a recent interview with leading Italian publication La Repubblica, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, noted that de facto peace has been established in the region, achieved not through Armenia's goodwill, but rather as a result of Azerbaijan's military and coercive measures, according to Report.

"As no tangible results were achieved in resolving the conflict over thirty years, we were compelled to conduct two military operations - in 2020 and 2023, which allowed us to liberate the territories of Karabakh occupied by Armenia and thus restore our territorial integrity," Hajiyev emphasized. "We have won the war and now we want to achieve peace. We are closer to it than ever before, but there are still obstacles hindering progress."

Hajiyev pointed out that one of the obstacles is Armenia's Constitution, which calls into question Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. "Its preamble essentially refers to the Declaration of Independence, which mentions the word 'miatsum,' meaning 'unification' of Karabakh with Armenia in Armenian. We want to reach a peaceful agreement not only with the Armenian government but also with the Armenian people, who should demand a referendum to amend the constitution, renouncing territorial claims against Azerbaijan," he added.

The presidential aide stressed that a peace treaty should not be just a piece of paper, but a guarantee that no one in Armenia will engage in revanchism against Azerbaijan or threaten peace in the region.