By Anar Huseynov,
Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Today is a first anniversary since Armenia unleashed the 44-day war against Azerbaijan.
In September 2020, Armenia launched a large-scale military attack on Azerbaijan. Completely defeated in the forty-four-day war, Armenia was forced to withdraw its troops from occupied territories of Azerbaijan by signing an act of capitulation on November 10, 2020. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and has expelled the occupiers from Azerbaijani’s historical lands.
The negotiation process on the resolution of the former Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict lasted for about 30 years, but to no avail. In 1993, the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions calling for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Besides, a number of influential international organizations, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the OSCE, have adopted similar resolutions. However, Armenia ignored the demands of leading international organizations. Thus, Armenia’s only goal was to maintain the status quo and strengthen the occupation. In the last decade, Armenia has deliberately destroyed the negotiation process, threatening Azerbaijan with a new war for new territories. Continuous provocative and irresponsible actions by the military-political leadership of Armenia in recent years were aimed at undermining regional peace and stability. Only in 2020 there were three large scale provocations which at the end led to a large scale war.
Almost 30 yearlong unsuccessful negotiation process, multiple provocations by Armenia and stance of international actors confirmed that this issue could never be resolved through negotiations. All these designed for Azerbaijan to reconcile with the situation of occupation. Azerbaijan repeatedly stated that if the issue is not resolved peacefully, territorial integrity will be restored through all internationally recognized means. Norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions, historical justice have provided Azerbaijan with the right to restore its territorial integrity and we did it.
During the 44 days war Azerbaijan itself ensured the implementation of the above-mentioned UN Security Council resolutions. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has gone down in history.
At present, the Government of Azerbaijan has grandiose plans for the reconstruction and revival of the liberated region, large-scale construction works have already begun and unprecedented restoration work is currently underway in the liberated areas. The main goal is the return of IDPs safely and securely to their homes which they have been longing for for nearly 30 years. However, the main difficulty is the large number of landmines planted by Armenia. About 150 Azerbaijani citizens were killed and injured in mine explosions after Armenia signed a capitulation act on November 10, 2020. In addition, landmines are slowing the reconstruction process in the liberated areas along with the return of IDPs to their homes. Demining such large areas requires a great deal of time and resources. Armenia refuses to provide mine maps. Armenia has on 2 occasions submitted mine maps of only 3 districts to Azerbaijan upon the mediation efforts of international partners, but the formularies shared by Armenia which were meant to provide information about the places of 200 000 mines were not completely correct. It has been identified that almost half of these formularies are only partially filled, while one fourth are either completely false or contain no information. The international community must force Armenia to provide Azerbaijan with mine maps of all liberated areas.
Modern urban planning is carried out in these territories. The liberated areas will be a green energy zone. Recently, the “smart village” project has already begun to be implemented. This project first will be implemented in three villages of Zangilan district and due to be completed by the end of this year. There are also different pilot projects being implemented in Agdam, Jabrayil, Fizuli and Khojavend districts. By demonstrating the unique experience of transformation, Azerbaijan will turn a devastated area of more than 10 000 sq.km into a prosperous place with high living standards.
Recently, new territorial divisions in the country were approved by the order of the President of Azerbaijan. Among 14 economic regions the two – Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions – cover the liberated territories. In the Karabakh economic region, all the regional units, districts of the Karabakh region were united. Thus, there is no longer a territorial unit called Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, there is only Karabakh. As a result of the construction of the Zangazur corridor through Armenia, which will connect East Zangazur and Nakhichevan, new realities and opportunities will emerge in the region’s transit potential.
For a record short period, starting from January of this year the construction of an international airport at Fuzuli city of Azerbaijan was completed. The plans of construction of international airports in Lachin and Zangilan districts are underway.
During the last 30 years Azerbaijan was the initiator and participant of huge regional energy and transport projects of wider regional importance. Azerbaijan has built all communications, pipelines, railways and transport projects with its other neighbors. Because of its expansionist policy Armenia self-isolated itself and stayed as a distant and passive observer of these grand regional development projects. Azerbaijan always declared that Armenia could join these projects only on one condition – by giving up its occupation policy and its territorial claims against its neighbors.
The Tripartite Declaration of November 10, 2020 provided an opportunity to normalize relations in the region on the basis of new realities, including the principles of international law.
Azerbaijan openly states its readiness for normalization of relations with Armenia and only condition for that is mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity, recognition of borders. That will stipulate the delimitation work at border line. Azerbaijan believes that the issue has been resolved and there should be a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is still no official response to Azerbaijan’s calls for peace in Armenia. The ball is now in Armenia’s court.
