Azerbaijan sees no obstacle to Armenia peace deal if constitutional territorial claim removed

Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, spoke to Anadolu on the sidelines of a program on peace, reconstruction and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus.

Hajiyev said Azerbaijan was closely following Armenia’s efforts to draft a new constitution following the country’s elections.

“There is an issue of a territorial claim against Azerbaijan in Armenia’s constitution. We expect it not to be included in the new constitution, in other words, to be removed. There are such intentions on the Armenian side as well,” he said.

“If a referendum is held in Armenia, the new constitution is adopted and that provision is removed, we see no obstacle or problem to the final signing of the peace agreement,” he added.

Hajiyev said a de facto atmosphere of peace already existed in the region and that efforts were continuing to establish lasting peace between the two countries.

Karabakh reconstruction

Hajiyev also said Azerbaijan was rebuilding nine cities and 300 villages in Karabakh from scratch.

He said thousands of kilometers of roads, as well as bridges and tunnels, had been built in a short period, while around 60,000 people had begun living, working and studying in the region.

The threat posed by landmines remained a major challenge, he said, adding that demining operations were allowing residents to gradually return to cities and towns.

“We are in the process of creating a paradise in Karabakh, which is itself a natural paradise,” he said.

Zangezur Corridor

On the proposed Zangezur Corridor, Hajiyev said signals from Armenia and the US indicated that feasibility studies were nearing completion and construction could begin this year.

He said a divided highway from Baku to Zangilan was nearing completion, while the railway line was also close to being finished.

Railway infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic was being reconstructed, he added, while Türkiye was building the Kars-Igdir railway line.

Once completed, the projects would establish a railway connection between Nakhchivan and Türkiye, he said.

“We expect Armenia and the US to begin the construction process of the project they call the Zangezur Corridor, or the Trump Corridor,” Hajiyev said.

Türkiye-Azerbaijan ties

Hajiyev described relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan as a historic brotherhood inherited from previous generations.

He said attempts to damage ties between the two countries amounted to “dirty propaganda” and would not succeed.

“I call those who try to undermine Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations traitors. Whether they are in Türkiye or Azerbaijan, those who display such an intention will never achieve their goals,” he said.

Hajiyev added that bilateral relations would continue to grow stronger through the will of the two peoples and the leadership of their presidents.