United Nations:
A “partial peace” with Armenia is just not a risk, Azerbaijan’s overseas minister mentioned Saturday on the UN Common Meeting’s annual gathering, after Yerevan provided a extra optimistic message.
The 2 former Soviet republics had seen many years of conflict and stress over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway ethnic Armenian area in Azerbaijan.
After a collection of slow-moving negotiations, Azerbaijan rushed in troops final yr and swiftly seized again the realm, whose total inhabitants of practically 120,000 individuals fled to Armenia.
“Partial peace is just not an possibility after a lot ache and struggling inflicted by… territorial claims towards neighbors,” Jeyhun Bayramov instructed the gathering, insisting particularly on a change to Armenia’s structure, which refers to “reunification” with Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan’s lightning offensive final yr unfolded through the high-level UN conferences in New York, sparking disbelief and chagrin amongst Western diplomats, particularly US and French officers who had been deeply concerned in mediation efforts.
On Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned peace with Azerbaijan “not solely is feasible, however is inside attain.”
Azerbaijan and Armenia each say that 80 p.c of a treaty is prepared, together with border delineation, however Azerbaijan first needs a decision of all points.
In his UN handle, Pashinyan mentioned he was prepared to satisfy the Baku authorities’s key demand of permitting transportation entry throughout Armenian soil to the exclave of Nakhchivan, letting Azerbaijan join its foremost territory with its conventional ally Turkey.
Pashinyan insisted that Azerbaijan and Armenia ought to signal the draft treaty instantly, explaining, “There isn’t any precedent of a peace settlement or any settlement that will regulate and clear up all the pieces.”
However on Saturday, Bayramov mentioned any finalization of a deal would require Armenia to “legally abandon territorial claims towards Azerbaijan as soon as and for all by way of implementing constitutional amendments” so Baku’s territorial integrity wouldn’t be in “authorized limbo.”
He additionally accused Yerevan of constructing a “dramatic enhance” in its army finances and buying a “great amount of offensive weaponry from each conventional and new suppliers.”
Bayramov however acknowledged “important progress” in efforts by the neighbors to normalize relations, calling for “expeditious steps” to finish the method “at this crucial second.”
Any modifications to Armenia’s structure should be completed by way of a referendum, a protracted and unsure course of. Western diplomats mentioned they noticed the request as a approach for Baku to ask for the unattainable to keep away from signing a deal.
Doubtlessly including to momentum for a deal is COP29, the annual UN local weather change talks that carry collectively officers from the world over, which is able to happen within the Azerbaijani capital Baku in November.
The worldwide neighborhood is making use of added stress on Baku to succeed in an settlement earlier than COP29.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by EDNBOX workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)