Elchin Amirbekov: Armenia can emerge from isolation in the region if it is committed to peace

Azerbaijan strives for such a lasting peace that cannot be violated by either revanchism or a change in position on the part of Armenians.

This was stated by the representative of the President of Azerbaijan for special assignments, Elchin Amirbekov, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

- In the context of a peace agreement with Armenia, what specific steps is Azerbaijan taking to achieve sustainable peace?

- All points have been agreed upon. The obstacle to signing the document is the contradiction between the Constitution of Armenia and the content of the peace agreement. We want the Armenian side to change its Constitution, abandoning claims to Karabakh, in accordance with the spirit and text of this agreement. Azerbaijan strives for such a lasting peace that cannot be violated by either revanchism or a change in position on the part of Armenians. The Armenian government's refusal to change the Constitution raises certain doubts in Azerbaijan about the sincerity of their intentions. I believe that if we look at the current situation, Armenia and Azerbaijan have come a long way. Therefore, we hope that the Armenian side will show political will to resolve the two remaining issues.

- This constitutional reform will take considerable time. It seems that all this will not happen before 2026. How then can progress be made on this issue, not being content with an "incomplete peace plan"?

- From the Armenian side, we hear that they plan to put the draft of the new Constitution to a referendum next year - that is, after the elections in June 2026. We agree with those who consider this timeframe too long.

- In Azerbaijan, you have a dominant position, since Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan faces internal pressure when talking about possible concessions to Baku. But this is not the case in Azerbaijan. Some critics say this is due to the suppression of opposition in your country.

- This completely contradicts reality. We have opposition, free press, free internet; there are many people who criticize the government's activities in other areas. But on this particular issue, there is unanimity in Azerbaijani society. Because the opposition has no reason to criticize the government - this government solved the problem of 30 years of occupation. The state, with the support of its people and army, restored historical justice and international law. Today, there is much talk about the violation of territorial integrity, the trampling of international law. But one of the first countries to face this situation in the early 1990s was Azerbaijan. So I want to ask these critics and NGOs you refer to: Where were you then? Why were you silent? Were you afraid or incompetent? We decided to apply Article 51 of the UN Charter