As is known, negotiations on the draft text of the “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia” were concluded on March 13 of this year.

It should be noted that the initiator of the normalization process was the Azerbaijani side, and the basic principles for normalization and the text of relevant draft agreement were drawn up by Azerbaijan and submitted to the other side. During the direct bilateral negotiations that began in October 2022, the text was advanced as a result of the consistent and decisive position of the Azerbaijani side. During this period, Armenia's position was inconsistent and contradictory, characterized by the submission of non-constructive proposals that served to complicate and delay the negotiations on the text of agreement.

It should be noted that this development, which is a serious step forward in terms of the normalization process and has already begun to be welcomed by representatives of some foreign states and international organizations, was made possible through direct bilateral negotiations. After the historically significant achievement in the process of delimitation of the state border last year, the fact that the two sides have now approved a draft bilateral agreement through direct negotiations proves once again that bilateral negotiations are the most effective and efficient way. This once again demonstrates that attempts by outsiders or third Parties to interfere in the bilateral normalization process are harmful, and that both countries are capable of achieving progress through direct negotiations. The Azerbaijani side has been a supporter of this approach for the past four years and has encouraged direct negotiations with Armenia. In return, Armenia, with the encouragement and instigation of a number of foreign actors, has been trying to involve various third parties in the process, constantly avoiding direct negotiations. This, in turn, has led to the prolongation of the process and the loss of valuable time for ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region.

It is worth to mention that the Armenian side, after trying to evade the agreement on certain provisions for a long time under various pretexts, has radically changed its position as if nothing had happened and accepted the draft texts that have been on the negotiating table for months, and now is trying to portray this as a major constructive step taken by its side. However, it is Armenia that has prolonged the process of agreeing on the draft text with its stance. This change in position by Armenia may be related to the assessment of the current international processes and their possible effects on our region, Armenia's inability to receive the level of support it hoped for from some power centers, or political processes within Armenia. In any case, recent developments once again show that Armenia's position is not stable and consistent, but manifests itself in diametrically different forms from time to time, depending on local, regional or world developments. This, as the Azerbaijani side has consistently emphasized from the very beginning, means that for peace between the two states to be lasting and sustainable, the normalization process cannot develop solely on the basis of the steps and statements of the current government. Peace and normalization must be accepted not only by the current Armenian government, but by Armenian society as a whole.

Supporting Armenia's manipulation attempts with the intention of gaining any short-term dividends from the normalization process for the purpose of geopolitical competition, contributing to the increase of its military potential, distances the parties from real peace, forms dividing lines in the region and ultimately does not serve to ensure peace and stability, on the opposite undermines these efforts.

Thus, the conclusion of negotiations on the text of agreement makes it even more urgent and inevitable to make amendments to constitution of Armenia to drop from the text all claims to internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, and also formally abolish the structures related to the OSCE Minsk Process. These are two major terms under which Baku can go for signing of peace agreement with Armenia. From the very beginning, Baku has consistently informed and warned both the Armenian side and third parties participating in the process in one way or another about our position on above-mentioned principal terms. The Azerbaijani side pursues the line of establishing peace not on a formal and fragile, but on a stable and irreversible grounds. We aim at not just signing agreements, but achieving real peace and creating conditions for cooperation by putting an end to Armenia's territorial claims.