Azerbaijan finalizes 80% of peace agreement with Armenia in ongoing talks
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are seen during a visit to the Catherine Palace at the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Reserve in Saint Petersburg, Russia December 26, 2023. (Reuters)
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that approximately 80% of the text of a peace agreement with Armenia has been agreed upon during ongoing negotiations.
Aliyev spoke at the Ambrosetti Forum, held annually in early September in the town of Cernobbio on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.
He recallrd that Azerbaijani territories had been under Armenian occupation for years and were liberated during the Second Karabakh War.
We can achieve peace in the South Caucasus. When we look at the peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia today, we see that this is possible. Approximately 80% of the text of the peace agreement has been agreed upon. We hope the negotiations will result in the signing of the peace agreement.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
Touching on his country’s relations with Italy, Aliyev noted that they are strategic allies and that Italy is Azerbaijan’s number one trading partner. He stated that the trade volume between Azerbaijan and Italy in 2023 was $16 billion, and this figure could increase.
Aliyev also connected energy security with national security, saying, “Azerbaijan today ensures the energy security of 10 countries. Seven European Union member states receive natural gas from Azerbaijan.
Therefore, the European Commission refers to Azerbaijan as a “supplier of gas to Europe” and a “reliable partner.” We are also negotiating natural gas with three more European countries.”
