Hikmat Hajiyev: peace initiatives must not remain on paper only

There is currently neither full peace nor open confrontation in the South Caucasus, stated Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmat Hajiyev, during a panel session titled "South Caucasus: On the Path to Becoming a Strategic Center" held within the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Report informs.

"We have already taken certain steps to achieve peace, and this was also confirmed at the Washington summit. Türkiye has also initiated a process towards improving relations between the two countries. However, these initiatives should not remain only on paper. Practical steps must be taken and real work must be done. Only in this way is it possible to build trust between the two countries," Hajiyev stated.

He noted that Azerbaijani products are already being exported to Armenia, and at the same time, Armenian products have also begun to be imported into Azerbaijan:

"This is an important step in terms of building mutual trust. Overall, reliable and sustainable relations must be established between our countries."

Hajiyev emphasized that various conflicts are currently ongoing in the surrounding regions.

"The US-Iran tension, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, is affecting the security environment in the region. For this reason, we are also actively working towards ensuring security. In this process, cooperation with Türkiye and Georgia plays an important role," he said.