A military post along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border
Official Baku has signaled that the delimitation and demarcation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan may proceed on a separate track and should not be linked to a peace deal between the two countries currently being discussed.
“The 35-year-long conflict is now over,” Hikmet Hajiyev, a top foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, told reporters in London, Reuters reported.
“The strategy for Azerbaijan now is to win peace. (This) requires action from both sides,” he added.
“A peace treaty is not rocket science,” Hajiyev said. “For Azerbaijan there are no longer obstacles on the way to a peace agenda.”
“Azerbaijan is ready to form a peace treaty with Armenia. For that reason, Azerbaijan has also suggested five fundamental principles and a text for a peace treaty. Currently, there are diplomatic engagements between Armenia and Azerbaijan in direct talks. I believe that Armenia and Azerbaijan have managed to surprise the world with a positive agenda. On December 7, the two countries made a joint statement expressing their intention to advance the peace agenda and implement confidence-building measures,” Hajiyev told reporters in London on Tuesday.
He noted that these last three months could be considered the most calm and peaceful period in the history of the Armenia-Azerbaijan relationship since the independence of the two countries.
“There is no war, no atrocities, and no confrontation, with soldiers returning to their barracks. Relative peace has been ensured on the ground. Now is the time to transform it into a long-lasting peace, including the signing of a peace treaty,” Hajiyev added.
He claimed that Baku has made it possible for Armenians who fled Artsakh to return, after a vetting process and as long as they are ready to accept Azerbaijani citizenship.