Azerbaijani MP accuses Armenia of delaying peace treaty signing

Azerbaijani MP Kamal Jafarov said Armenia's conflicting statements about when a peace treaty could be signed showed that its leadership did not fully grasp the importance of peace in practice.

Report informs that Jafarov made the remarks at today's plenary session of parliament.

"Armenia initially stated that a peace treaty could be signed by 2031, then in 2027 and 2028. This fact alone once again confirms that the Armenian leadership does not seriously understand the importance of peace in practice," he said.

Jafarov stressed that peace was a serious matter, rather than a political campaign tool.

"It appears that Yerevan is trying to buy time by holding regional peace hostage to its domestic political calendar. Therefore, as President Ilham Aliyev has said, those seeking to portray Armenia's current leadership as a dove of peace should once again see that a side truly seeking peace would not make such contradictory statements. It would not relegate peace to the very bottom of the national agenda. It would not turn peace into a political tool for remaining in power.

"The picture that emerges is that some in Yerevan are still living under illusions. They believe that by stalling under various pretexts, they can deceive their domestic audience while securing concessions with the help of their foreign patrons. We never make concessions to anyone. Both Armenia's leadership and its people should be certain that they need peace most of all. Sooner or later, we will achieve what we want, and no one will be able to influence our will."

The MP stressed that the Azerbaijani people had restored the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

"We were also the first to propose peace. We authored the text of the peace treaty. President Ilham Aliyev is also the guarantor of today's peace in practice. Armenia's leadership must draw conclusions from the geopolitical situation, refrain from deceiving itself with weapons supplied by its foreign patrons and understand that Azerbaijan's military strength is many times greater than it was during the Second Garabagh War. This remains one of the foremost priorities of our state policy.

"If they truly want peace, they should stop making empty statements, fulfill their obligations concerning the Zangazur corridor on time and take legal steps to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan from Armenia's constitution so that a peace treaty can be signed."