Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has again made threats against Armenia—but this time covertly.
"I have been saying for more than a year that Armenia must sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan. The Armenian side has only recently agreed. The same goes for demarcation [of the borders]. We expect that [respective] meetings will take place within the framework of the commission very soon," Aliyev said, speaking at the international conference entitled "South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation."
It is especially symbolic that this conference is taking place in the Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian city of Shushi, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
"Azerbaijan is ready to sign a peace agreement with Armenia. Now we see steps from the Armenian side on the peace agenda. Armenia and its political elite must accept the new realities in the region and renounce revanchism. Besides, steps are needed to ensure lasting and stable peace in the region," the Azerbaijani president added, Haqqin.az reported.
According to him, "during this period after the second Karabakh war, I hope Armenia has realized how important peace is. If the peace treaty is signed, if the five principles mentioned [by Azerbaijan] are applied, there will be lasting and stable peace in the region."
Aliyev did not forget to mention the role of Turkey in all this.
“The Shusha [(Shushi)] Declaration signed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June last year is a vivid example of our brotherhood and cooperation. With that document we have worded our cooperation in all formats. "
He stressed that Azerbaijan and Turkey are allies in all spheres, including military and defense.
"And in general, the main goal of Azerbaijan is to restore Karabakh and return the former refugees there," Aliyev said.
He added that a meeting of the Azerbaijani-Armenian joint working group will take place very soon.
"We are actively advocating for a new era in the Caucasus, an era of peace and cooperation. Finally, we recently received a positive response from Armenia. The [latter’s] government has accepted the five basic principles proposed by Azerbaijan, which shall be at the basis of a peace agreement with Armenia," Ilham Aliyev said.
