During his speech at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, last Friday in Istanbul, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov affirmed that the country sent a proposal containing five conditions to normalize relations with Armenia.
The proposals include the mutual recognition of each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of international borders and political independence and mutual confirmation of the absence of territorial claims of states against each other and the legal obligation not to file such a claim in the future.
The refraining from threatening each other’s security in interstate relations, from using threats and force against political independence and territorial integrity, as well as from other circumstances incompatible with the purposes of the UN Charter is also mentioned.
Delimitation and demarcation of the state border, establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of transport and communications, establishment of other relevant communications and cooperation in other areas of mutual interest are the last two proposals from what is seems to be a nod towards peace-building in the region.
Armenia responded to the proposals and appealed to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship with a request to organize negotiations on a peace treaty between both countries, in accordance to international law.
Political scientist Rauf Mirkadirov deems Azerbaijan’s proposals and Armenia’s reaction conventional. He told Meydan TV that Baku’s plan can be considered standard:
The last paragraph stipulates the opening of communications, which is in the interests of Yerevan. The remaining 4 proposals are important for the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries, meaning that, without them, it is impossible to sign a peace agreement. Armenia’s reaction is also normal. These talks can be held in different formats, but in all of them, probably guarantor states will be needed.
Rauf Mirkadirov
In Mirkadirov’s prediction, Russia will try to act as a mediator. However, he considers this role is unacceptable because of the on-going Russian invasion of the Ukrainian territory. Moreover, the political scientist believes that even if an agreement containing these five points is signed, the issue of the Karabakh region will not be solved yet, since the area is under Russian control and is regarded as a de-facto state.
The history of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas dates back to 1988. The latest armed disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan was the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. The conflict ended with a full ceasefire agreement mediated by Russian president Vladimir Putin on November 10, 2020.
