“For me, peace with Armenia is done,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev told France 24 on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, reflecting on six months of calm on the border and progress in trade and regional cooperation.
President Aliyev also referred to the historic trilateral summit at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which produced a Joint Declaration aimed at ending decades of conflict.
“Since that time, more than six months have passed, and we have a very quiet situation on the border with Armenia. No more shootings, no victims, no wounded,” Aliyev said.
He noted that Azerbaijan has lifted transit restrictions and begun supplying critical oil products to Armenia, marking the start of direct trade relations.
President Aliyev stressed that formal peace requires constitutional changes in Armenia, particularly the removal of territorial claims on Garabagh. “As soon as it is done, there will be no obstacles to the formal signing of a peace agreement… Definitely this year,” he said.
President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a road and rail corridor connecting Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia to Europe. He described the U.S. role as decisive in making the project a reality, noting the short Armenian segment of the corridor and ongoing infrastructure work on Azerbaijan’s side.
He also discussed the recent visit of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, which resulted in the Charter on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States, covering defense, energy, connectivity, AI, investment, and trade.
“Thus, we became an official strategic partner of the most powerful country in the world, and we consider it a big success for our country,” President Aliyev said.
Responding to questions about the harsh prison sentences for former separatist leaders in Garabagh, President Aliyev affirmed that the trials were transparent and based on documented crimes.
“These people committed serious crimes against humanity… Their crimes were even worse than what the Nazis did during World War II,” he said.
President Ilham Aliyev rejected calls for clemency while reiterating Azerbaijan’s offer for displaced Armenians to return under fair terms.
The Azerbaijani leader addressed past tensions with France, citing criticism and unauthorized visits to Garabagh by French politicians during the Second Garabagh War. He emphasised that recent interactions with President Emmanuel Macron have been constructive, signaling a “restart button” for bilateral relations.
“We were not the source of the problems… Now both sides are more ready for normal relations, especially after Armenia and Azerbaijan have already achieved peace,” he said.
Throughout the interview, President Aliyev underlined Azerbaijan’s commitment to regional stability, economic connectivity, and international cooperation, while asserting the country’s sovereignty and strategic interests in the South Caucasus.
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The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is "outpacing containment efforts" amid conflict, weak disease surveillance and limited access to healthcare, according to London-based pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind.
Kazakhstan has reiterated that no existing route can replace the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries more than 80% of the country's crude oil exports through Russia to the Black Sea.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Meanwhile, the GCC condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, which Tehran said was retaliation for a U.S. strike near Bandar Abbas.
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A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, underlining the country's growing economic engagement within the regional bloc.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
Kazakhstan has reiterated that no existing route can replace the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries more than 80% of the country's crude oil exports through Russia to the Black Sea.
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
Senior U.S. State Department officials spent three days in Georgia meeting ministers, opposition figures and Church leaders as Washington intensifies its strategic engagement across the South Caucasus.
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