Expert: Azerbaijan not interested in peace with Armenia

Azerbaijan has no genuine interest in establishing peaceful relations with Armenia. The country has declared Armenians as enemies and seeks to eliminate Armenian statehood in the region, Caucasus expert Karen Igityan said in an interview with Panorama.am on Thursday.

He emphasized that this is part of the broader geopolitical agenda of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem.

Igityan dismissed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent claims of initiating the peace process with Armenia as mere rhetoric aimed at an external audience.

"This statement is intended for the West, particularly Europeans, who have criticized Aliyev for his revanchist, militaristic and nationalist policies. Although no sanctions have been imposed on him, his policies, especially the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), have been condemned by the West. In response, Aliyev now seeks to portray himself as a peacemaker, claiming to have initiated a peace process."

Igityan stressed that Azerbaijan has consistently threatened to use force against Armenia.

"Azerbaijan’s rhetoric has always been clear: either comply with our demands regarding Artsakh, or face war. Every call to renounce the use of force has been addressed to Azerbaijan. This was evident in the April 2016 war, where Azerbaijan attempted but failed to achieve its objectives militarily, suffering a political defeat. However, in 2020, it launched a full-scale war and continued its aggression against Armenia in 2021 and 2022, seizing territory through military action and coercion. Each time, Azerbaijan used force to strengthen its negotiating position. Eventually, Azerbaijan carried out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. When we examine the facts, it becomes evident that Aliyev is not bringing peace, he is bringing war," the expert stated.

Does Armenia's leadership acknowledge this?

Igityan pointed to the inconsistencies in the Armenian government’s statements.

"At times, Armenia’s leadership describes Azerbaijani officials as constructive, highlighting progress in negotiations. Then they move to calling them unconstructive and warning of threats, only to later claim that no threats exist," he said.

Igityan suggested that there might be a disconnect between the Armenian government’s public statements and its true beliefs.

"Any rational observer can see that Azerbaijan has already created a tense environment and continues to make militaristic, revanchist statements. Azerbaijan has built a nationalist and revanchist state that seeks further military victories over Armenia."

Addressing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that "we will not continue the Karabakh movement", Igityan remarked: "I believe Pashinyan’s stance has remained unchanged from 20 years ago. His political team sees the Artsakh movement as a burden, something that has constrained Armenia. They believe that by closing the Artsakh issue, they are leaving behind a dark past and opening a new, positive era. However, in reality, abandoning Artsakh has led to an unprecedented security crisis for Armenia. When Artsakh existed, Armenia never faced such existential threats. By closing the Artsakh chapter, they are opening the Syunik chapter, and Azerbaijan has already made its intentions clear."

"Abandoning historical rights only emboldens Azerbaijan’s false historical claims. The notion that 'if we make concessions, Azerbaijan will do the same' is fundamentally flawed as Azerbaijan is not giving up anything. The more Armenia retreats historically, politically and strategically, the more Azerbaijan amplifies its propaganda, which is a key instrument of its policy. It seeks to depict Armenians as genocidal aggressors who have occupied Azerbaijan’s so-called historical lands. Naturally, what follows? The Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem will push to reclaim everything. This propaganda reflects Azerbaijan’s true objectives," the expert stressed.