(United Nations, United States) A “partial peace” with Armenia is “not an option”, the Azerbaijani foreign minister told the UN on Saturday, after the message of optimism carried earlier in the week by Yerevan.
“Partial peace is not an option after so much suffering inflicted by irredentism and territorial claims against a neighbor,” Jeyhun Bayramov told the General Assembly, urging in particular for a change to the Constitution Armenian, which refers to “reunification” with Nagorno-Karabakh.
Just a year ago, Azerbaijan had just retaken Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave under Azerbaijani sovereignty that was mainly populated by Armenians.
The offensive lasted only a few days and took place during the annual high mass of the UN General Assembly, creating astonishment among Western diplomats, in particular the Americans and French, then very involved in mediation. . They had witnessed, helplessly, the exodus of nearly 120,000 Armenians.
On Thursday, at the UN, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian delivered a message of optimism, assuring that peace was “not only possible, but also within reach”.
PHOTO EDUARDO MUNOZ, REUTERS
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian
Estimating that the two parties agree on 80% of the points of a potential treaty, he stressed that Yerevan would like to sign the agreement on the basis of the points already approved.
But Baku is opposed to it, believing that no agreement is possible until all the points are settled.
“For the finalization of the normalization process, Armenia must still legally abandon all its territorial claims to Azerbaijan, once and for all, through an amendment to its Constitution,” insisted Saturday the head of the Azerbaijani diplomacy, judging that the sovereignty of his country could not remain in “legal limbo”.
He also accused Armenia of having “largely increased its defense budget”.
Recognizing, however, “significant progress” in the normalization process between the two neighbors over the past year, he called, “at this critical moment”, for “rapid steps to resolve the last obstacles towards finalization”.
Concerning the change of the Armenian Constitution, which requires the organization of a referendum – a long process with an uncertain outcome – Western diplomats see it as “a delaying tactic” by Baku which consists of asking for the impossible in order not to sign All right.
Azerbaijan, with its gas riches and a modernized army reinforced by Turkish weapons, has until now appeared to be in a strong position in the negotiations.
But while the country has gained international visibility – Baku is the host of COP29 in November – pressure from the international community is increasing for an agreement to be signed before this major meeting dedicated to the climate.