Elchin Amirbayov Rejects Armenian Proposal for Immediate Peace Agreement
On October 20, Elchin Amirbayov, the Representative of the Azerbaijani President for Special Assignments, discussed key issues in an interview with a German publication Berliner Zeitung, focusing on the peace process and the normalization of relations with Armenia.
In response to a question regarding the Armenian Ambassador to Germany's statement that Armenia is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan "as early as next Monday," Amirbayov expressed skepticism about the sincerity of this claim. He stated, "The proposal to sign an unfinished, half-complete agreement as early as tomorrow is not only unrealistic and unacceptable but also misleading." He emphasized that several important provisions of the draft agreement remain unresolved, and without addressing these, the document would be incomplete.
Amirbayov pointed out that the primary obstacle to peace is Armenia's continued territorial claims against Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, as outlined in the Armenian Constitution. He criticized Armenia for overlooking this critical issue, suggesting that it aims to mislead the international community into believing it is constructively engaged in the peace process while actually stalling negotiations and creating deadlock.
Furthermore, Amirbayov commented on the impact of Western support for Armenia, stating, "It is obvious that as soon as Armenia started receiving unlimited diplomatic, economic, and military aid from the West, including the European Union (EU) and the US, it lost all interest in constructively participating in negotiations." He indicated that achieving peace with Azerbaijan no longer seems to be a priority for Armenia.
When asked about the possibility of separating the issue of opening the so-called "Zangezur corridor" from the peace agreement and whether amendments to the Armenian Constitution could be postponed, Amirbayov argued that it was incorrect to draw parallels between these two issues. He stressed that Armenia's territorial claims have been a fundamental cause of the conflict since its inception and must be addressed to establish lasting peace. Amirbayov warned, "If the basic law of this country remains unchanged, the peace agreement will be short-lived," noting that any future Armenian leadership opposed to peace could easily denounce the agreement due to constitutional inconsistencies.
He clarified that Azerbaijan seeks to sign a peace agreement not just with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan but with Armenia as a whole, emphasizing the need to eliminate legal loopholes that could reignite conflict and cause further tragedies. Regarding the "Zangezur corridor," Amirbayov acknowledged its significance to Azerbaijan but explained that its removal from the peace agreement was intended to prevent critics from accusing Azerbaijan of obstructing progress in the overall negotiations.