BAKU — Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has outlined several preconditions for signing a peace accord with Armenia during an interview with a Russian state broadcaster, made public on Wednesday.
Aliyev emphasized that Armenia must not only amend its constitution but also facilitate the return of Azerbaijanis who lived there until the late 1980s. Additionally, he called for Armenia to cease purchasing weapons and to agree to disband the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh. He confirmed that two other contentious issues remain obstacles in the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations over a bilateral peace treaty.
Baku seeks to include provisions in the draft treaty requiring both nations to withdraw international lawsuits filed against each other and to prohibit the presence of third-party monitors or troops along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
“Under the guise of so-called European monitors, a NATO infrastructure has been created from the Armenian side on the border with our country,” Aliyev claimed, while noting Azerbaijan’s strong military ties with Turkey, a key NATO member.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stated last month that he had made a “counterproposal” to limit EU monitors to demarcated sections of the border. However, Baku insisted last week on their full withdrawal.
Even if these two issues are resolved, Aliyev stated that the path to a peace agreement would still be blocked without Armenia amending its constitution. Speaking to Russia Today, he argued that Armenia’s constitution contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Aliyev also asserted that Armenia’s arms acquisitions pose a security threat to Azerbaijan, claiming—without evidence—that the Armenian military is receiving weapons from France, India, and the United States.
“We cannot simply stand by as observers. We have repeatedly told Armenia and its sponsors in the U.S. State Department that the armament must stop. Unfortunately, they do not listen. Armenia’s military buildup is advancing rapidly,” Aliyev said, adding that Western powers would not assist Armenia “on the ground” in the event of another conflict with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s government plans to allocate approximately $5 billion for defense and national security in 2025, a point emphasized by Aliyev. In contrast, Armenia’s defense budget for the same year is projected at $1.7 billion.
Earlier this year, Armenian officials voiced concerns that Azerbaijan might be planning further military aggression against Armenia following the COP29 climate summit in November. Some observers in Yerevan suggest that recent increases in contacts between Azerbaijani and Turkish military officials could indicate preparations for such action.
