Following the constructive approach of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia in accepting each other's territorial integrity, which led to the return of Nagorno-Karabakh to the Republic of Azerbaijan and the removal of the shadow of war from Sivnik Province in Armenia, these two countries on Thursday, December 6, for the first time after the collapse of the Soviet Union, signed a statement and took unprecedented decisions. In this connection, the following points are important.
1. The Baku- Yerevan agreement, which was reached due to the lack of influence from countries such as Russia, America, Turkey and France, showed that the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia prefer to pursue their interactions without mediation.
2. The most immediate result of this agreement will be the exchange of prisoners with an emphasis on the release of military forces, and soon 32 Armenian soldiers and 2 Azerbaijani soldiers will be released.
3. Expressing mutual goodwill and supporting each other's candidates in international forums is also part of the unprecedented agreements of these two countries. According to the provisions agreed in the published statement, Armenia withdraws from its candidacy to host the 29th Conference of the Members of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, (COP29) in favor of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supports the candidacy of this country. Baku also supports the candidacy of Yerevan to become a member of the office of this convention (COP) from the Eastern European group.
4. The important point of this statement is the announcement of the readiness of the parties to establish lasting peace. Based on this, Baku and Yerevan have expressed hope to sign a peace treaty by the end of 2023, which is less than a month away. After signing this treaty, the process of normalization of the relations between Baku and Yerevan will start with mutual trust and on the basis of respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the parties. It is obvious that the realistic decisions of these two countries will not only lead to the non-change of international borders and guarantee the rights of the Armenians of Karabakh, but will also activate their political, economic and cultural capacities to increase bilateral and regional interactions.
5. Although the good intentions and foresight of the authorities of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia led to the signing of this unprecedented statement, the effective role of Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, who took a brave and constructive position, and took his country out of the Karabakh swamp, should not be overlooked. Pashinyan did not adopt the positions of the previous Armenian officials, which were unprincipled and contrary to international standards, but by showing his seriousness in solving this conflict, he not only put his country on the path of economic progress, but also ruled out the continuation of the devastating war in the Caucasus.
6. The Islamic Republic of Iran held a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia in the form of 3+3 under the title "The turn of peace, cooperation and progress in the South Caucasus" in Tehran, bringing closer the views of Azerbaijan and Armenia to became each other. Naturally, Iran is the most pleased country with this agreement. At the same time, Russia, Turkey, America and the European Union also welcomed the issuance of the joint statement and called it a "big step forward". From now on, all the member countries in the 3+3 format should feel responsible for the continuation of the valuable action of Baku and Yerevan and maintaining peace and stability in the South Caucasus. It is hoped that in the upcoming meeting in Turkey, these countries will draw a clear vision for comprehensive and inclusive interactions in the region.
MNA