Azerbaijani MP: Equality and sovereignty underpin Baku's foreign policy

Equality, non-interference in states' internal affairs, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity form the foundation of Azerbaijan's approach to the international relations system, Member of Parliament Mehriban Valiyeva told Report.

According to her, the remarks made by President Ilham Aliyev at the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku on October 15 contained important political messages reflecting Azerbaijan's position in the modern system of international relations, its independent foreign policy course and its approach to ensuring regional security.

Valiyeva said one of the main problems in the contemporary international system is the selective application of the norms and principles of international law.

"Applying the same legal criteria differently to different states weakens confidence in international institutions, complicates conflict resolution and creates conditions for an aggressor to evade responsibility. International law should not become a political instrument recalled only when it serves the interests of certain states; it must be applied with the same consistency to all countries," she said.

The MP added that strengthening trust, fulfilling mutual obligations, delimiting and demarcating borders, opening transport communications, and preserving the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity require sustained political will.

"President Ilham Aliyev's emphasis on the fragility of peace demonstrates the importance of continuing this process on the basis of a consistent and responsible approach," she said.

"This problem is not limited to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. Armed confrontations, territorial claims and humanitarian crises occurring in various regions of the modern world show that the effectiveness of international law is measured not by the adoption of its provisions, but by their implementation in real life," she said.

According to Valiyeva, when decisions of the UN Security Council and resolutions of other international institutions are not backed by enforcement mechanisms, a serious gap emerges between legal norms and political reality.

"This, in turn, deepens double standards in the international system and weakens states' confidence in international institutions. Criticism of the attitude of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe toward Azerbaijan should also be assessed in this context," she said.

The MP said selective approaches toward states and conflicts are incompatible with the principles of objectivity and justice in international relations.

"The credibility of international organizations is determined not by their support for parties that share certain political positions, but by their application of legal requirements equally to everyone," Valiyeva said.

"Azerbaijan's position is that political interests should not override legal principles in international relations, while the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states should be protected as universal criteria," she added.