Azerbaijan is going to take action unless Armenian elements withdraw from the Karabakh region as stated in the agreement signed following the 2020 war, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday.
“What are the Armenian armed forces doing in Karabakh? Our patience is not unlimited, and I once again want to warn that if this obligation is not fulfilled, then Azerbaijan will take the necessary steps,” Aliyev wrote on Twitter.
Aliyev also spoke on efforts for a final peace settlement between the two South Caucasian nations, saying: “The terms we put forward are fair, based on international law, and the peace treaty must be signed on the basis of these terms. If Armenia shows goodwill, it will be signed, if not, it will not be signed.”
“If Armenia wants to conduct a good neighborhood policy, first of all, it should fulfill all the provisions of the Nov. 10, 2020 statement. It should be sincere in peace negotiations with Azerbaijan. It should not prolong the time artificially,” Aliyev said a day earlier during a speech in liberated Shusha.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
However, the cease-fire has been broken several times since then.
After the conflict ended, Azerbaijan launched a massive reconstruction initiative in the liberated Karabakh region.
Aliyev also reiterated that the Armenian side did not show any progress regarding the Zangezur corridor.
“The Zangezur Corridor is the responsibility of Armenia, it has taken the responsibility upon itself. For two years, we do not touch the cars going from Armenia to Karabakh and in the opposite direction on the Lachin road. Armenia has also undertaken to have a road connection between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Two years have passed, there is no feasibility study, no movement, no railway, no road. How long do we have to wait?” he added.
Zangezur was part of Azerbaijan, but in the 1920s, the Soviets gave the region to Armenia. After this move, Azerbaijan lost its link with Nakhchivan and some parts of the railway between the two countries were destroyed.
Azerbaijan has focused on projects in the Zangezur corridor, which will include highways and rail lines stretching across territories in Armenia's Syunik region.
Once those parts are repaired, Azerbaijan can reach Iran, Armenia and Nakhchivan uninterruptedly by train.
