Azerbaijan Ready for Normalization of Relations: Aliyev's Announcement

Speaking at the meeting of the CIS leaders, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that, in accordance with the agreement reached on November 9 of last year between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been resolved.

"The post-war period is generally passing calmly. I say post-conflict because the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in the past. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and has implemented the UN Security Council resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijan has resolved its conflict with Armenia through military-political means," Aliyev said.

Aliyev emphasized that after the signing of the agreement, Armenian forces withdrew from the regions of Aghdam, Qashatagh, and Karvachar, while previously, "Azerbaijani armed forces liberated more than 300 villages and cities on the battlefield."

"After the war, more than 150 Azerbaijani citizens have died or been injured as a result of landmine explosions," said the Azerbaijani president, adding that Armenia "refuses to provide all the maps of the minefields." According to him, the accuracy of the maps provided so far is only 25 percent.

"Over the past year, after Azerbaijan regained control over a 130 km section of its state border with Iran, it has stopped drug trafficking from Iran through the Jabrail region towards Armenia and Europe," Aliyev added, accusing Armenia and Iran of transporting drugs to Europe.

He also mentioned that "Azerbaijan has returned all prisoners of war captured during the war." At the end of November last year, Aliyev presented the soldiers captured from Shirak as saboteurs during the meeting.

The Azerbaijani leader expressed readiness to commence the process of delimitation and demarcation based on the principle of mutual respect for territorial integrity.

"We are also ready to start negotiations with Armenia regarding a peace treaty. Azerbaijan, as the victorious country, is ready for the normalization of relations and hopes that the leadership of Armenia will not miss this historic opportunity," Aliyev concluded.