Baku, February 1, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong.

Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong congratulated the head of state on ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the congratulations, describing it as a historic moment for the Azerbaijani people and state, and emphasized that these new conditions create opportunities for strengthening peace and stability in the region.

The head of state said that despite the Minsk Group had been engaged in the process of resolving the conflict for 28 years, no results were achieved, Azerbaijani territories were not liberated from occupation, and the return of internally displaced persons was not ensured. “While the Azerbaijani side rightfully put forward proposals to put pressure on Armenia and impose appropriate sanctions against it when Azerbaijani territories were under occupation, the member states of the Minsk Group did not take any steps in this direction at that time.”

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that after the end of the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, Azerbaijan as the initiator of the peace agenda in the region proposed to sign a peace treaty with Armenia. “However, Armenia did not provide an adequate response to this proposal. Therefore, Azerbaijan put forward five principles in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, which form the basis of the peace agreement, making Azerbaijan the initiator of the negotiation process on the peace treaty.”

The head of state stated that after the end of the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, Armenia did not fulfill a number of obligations it undertook under the trilateral Statement, and over the past three years, Armenia continued to support separatism in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan through financial, military and other means.

The President of Azerbaijan said that the congratulatory message sent by the Armenian leadership on the occasion of the “independence” of the so-called “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” on September 2 last year, as well as the so-called “presidential elections” held on September 9 seriously undermined the peace process, emphasizing that Azerbaijan undertook anti-terrorism measures to ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The head of state underlined that there is already de facto peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and a state of peace has prevailed along the border of the two countries for several months. “However, in order to bring logical conclusion to this process, a peace treaty must be signed, and Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan must be brought to an end.”

In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev noted that in Armenia's Declaration of Independence, there are direct calls for the annexation of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region to Armenia and the violation of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, and this document is also referred to in the Constitution of Armenia. “Furthermore, in Armenia`s other regulatory and legal documents, there are numerous provisions that assert territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and in many conventions and other documents to which Armenia is a party, there are numerous clauses that do not recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Karabakh.” In addition, the head of state emphasized that the basis of Armenia's claims against Azerbaijan in international courts consists of issues such as the non-recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity by Armenia, as well as the separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan. The President of Azerbaijan noted that peace can be achieved when these claims are brought to an end, and when amendments are made in the Constitution of Armenia and other regulatory and legal documents. Stressing the importance of expeditiously implementing this in Armenia, the head of state emphasized that initiating internal discussions on this issue in Armenia is considered a positive step, adding that this could create good opportunities for expediting the conclusion of the peace process.

Martin Chungong proposed that the Inter-Parliamentary Union could be a platform for dialogue between the parliamentarians of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The head of state applauded this initiative, pointing out that Azerbaijan supports the conduct of dialogue between the parliaments of the two countries namely on this platform.

Saying that France is carrying out a destructive policy in the region acting on the principle of adding fuel to the fire, conducting Armenia's militarization policy, and instigating geopolitical intrigues, President Ilham Aliyev noted that official Paris is the cause for the tension in the region. The President also noted that France conducts anti-Azerbaijan policy in various international organizations and at the parliamentary levels. The head of state underscored that France pursues a policy to achieve a leading position and strengthen its influence in the South Caucasus region, but he added that their efforts in this direction have been futile.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the efforts of a minority group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which is anti-Azerbaijani in nature and opposes the ratification of the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, did not contribute to dialogue. He stated that this contradicts the traditions of parliamentary platforms in general. The head of state emphasized the importance of restoring the rights of the Azerbaijani delegation and pointed out that if the rights of the Azerbaijani delegation are not restored, Azerbaijan will reconsider its participation in the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.

Martin Chungong pointed out that the Inter-Parliamentary Union calls for dialogue and inclusivity among parliamentarians, noting that he does not advocate exclusivity and such approaches are not properly accepted, and do not match international parliamentary traditions.

He congratulated the head of state on hosting COP29 and proposed organizing an event within the Inter-Parliamentary Union bringing together parliamentary delegations and supporting international efforts in the areas of environment and climate change during COP29. The head of state supported this initiative, and invited Martin Chungong to COP29, which will be hosted in Azerbaijan. The invitation was gratefully accepted.

The Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union also congratulated Azerbaijan on its successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement and commended the country for its initiative to create a parliamentary dimension of the Movement.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan's initiatives during its four-year chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, including increasing the organization's international influence, establishing new areas of cooperation, and creating parliamentary and youth dimensions, as well as a women's platform in this regard.

They also exchanged views on other issues of mutual concern.