Azerbaijani President's Power Has Always Been Based on Exploiting Conflict, Says Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Anna Naghdalyan, has commented on the speech by the President of Azerbaijan at the UN General Assembly session. She noted that the peoples of the region have inherited a complex conflict, the final resolution of which requires an agreement that will be acceptable to the people of Armenia, the people of Artsakh, and the people of Azerbaijan.

Only authorities that enjoy the mandate of these peoples are capable of expressing the political will to reach a compromise and establish peace. Authorities have been formed in Armenia and Artsakh that have received popular votes and are ready to engage in dialogue with the authorities that enjoy the mandate of the people of Azerbaijan.

Ilham Aliyev, who inherited power from his father and shares it within a single family, is not such a leader. His power has always been based on exploiting the conflict, instilling the image of Armenia and the Armenian people as a 'convenient enemy' in his own society, rather than addressing the needs of his own population.

During Ilham Aliyev's rule, Azerbaijan missed the historic chance to build a modern country and society through the 'oil boom.' Today, the Azerbaijani government presents itself to the world as an authoritarian and repressive regime that uses all possible means, including the coronavirus pandemic, to exploit and silence its own people.

As noted by the MFA spokesperson, in the region, we face a system of governance where values have been replaced by the worship of the individual, the dynasty, and personal wealth, while interests imply the preservation of power based on heredity at any cost. It is tragic that this 'any cost' is being paid and continues to be paid by the voiceless people of Azerbaijan.