Category: Key Issues

Armenia declares its readiness to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, Trend reports. When, where, and under what conditions will this document be signed? The resolution of "neither war nor peace" situation between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the beginning of normalization of interstate relations, restoration of ties and communications, opening of new routes - all these processes depend on the outcome of the final peace agreement. The document can be signed soon, unless there are new provocations from foreign states, especially France, and serious destructive pressure on Yerevan. Most obstacles in the signing process of the peace agreement have been removed, and solutions to some problems have been found. Now everything depends on the political will of the Armenian leadership. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has not changed his previous rhetoric. He does not consider it effective to sign a peace agreement without international guarantees. Pashinyan believes that the guarantors of the document he will sign with Baku must be either the US, France, or the European Union. Although such a guarantee is unnecessary. The peace agreement to be signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia is essentially a framework document confirming the readiness of the parties to build further relations within the framework of international law. There is no need for guarantees from the US, the European Union, France, or Russia for a document that emphasizes that relations will be based on fundamental principles and basic norms of international law. After signing the agreement by Baku and Yerevan, as well as completing the corresponding ratification procedures in the parliaments of both countries, the document is registered and approved at the UN. The peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia can be signed by the foreign ministers. Baku considers the most effective option to be coordinating the treaty directly with Yerevan through bilateral negotiations and discussions, followed by signing it in Tbilisi. Since the politica l elites of Armenia, not interested in strengthening Georgia in the region geopolitically, and at the same time not daring to violate the diplomatic course prescribed by the European Union and France, are likely to reject the Tbilisi option and insist on signing the document in Brussels. Russia does not consider any of these options acceptable. Not by chance, at the end of last year, both the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the country's president Vladimir Putin reminded about the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020, emphasizing that this document contributed to the end of the second Karabakh war. By this, Russia signaled to Yerevan that it insists on having the peace agreement signed in Moscow. At the same time, Russia also wants to present the Moscow option as a regional platform, holding consultations with Trkiye and Iran regarding the process of signing the specified document. Armenia is likely to reject Moscow's proposal, as its patrons ask Armenia to sign the document in one of the Western countries. Washington and Brussels are the possible options. Iran's recent activation is evident in attempts to influence processes in the South Caucasus: Tehran is suggested as the place where the final version of the peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan will be approved and signed. For Baku, this option is not desirable since Iran has a negative track record of implementing peacekeeping missions and conducting negotiations under its mediation. Considering that the investigation into the bloody terrorist attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran hasn't been completed, and the embassy has not resumed its activities, Iran's proposal is not suitable for Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Armenia plans to sign an agreement with Trkiye on opening the borders, restoring transportation communications, reestablishing diplomatic relations, etc. Thus, Istanbul or Ankara are also among the potential places where the peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan can be signed. The likelihood of signing the agreement in Istanbul increases against the background of reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to Trkiye this year. However, it's clear that the European Union won't consider the Istanbul option acceptable, and France, with strong and uncompromising protests, will exert pressure on Armenia. Since Armenia does not conduct an independent diplomatic course, Pashinyan's government will have to take into account the demands of its patrons who support, finance, and arm its army, as well as states that fuel Armenian revanchism. However, Pashinyan understands that full compliance with the demands of patrons may get Armenia involved in a new war, putting an end to Armenian statehood. Yerevan's harsh messages to the former leader of the Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, who fled to Armenia, are connected precisely with this. Acting under the dictate and scenario of external forces, Shahramanyan was preparing to announce that the document on the dissolution of all structures of the separatist junta from January 1, 2024, "has no legal force and legitimacy". However, Pashinyan and his team understand that the activities of separatist structures in the country, such as Armenian residents of Karabakh who voluntarily moved from Azerbaijan to Armenia, including puppet structures called the "government and parliament in exile", will be considered a direct threat to the territorial integrity, border immunity, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. In this case, Baku would be forced to take necessary, adequate steps within the basic principles of international law, and Armenians don't believe that these steps will limit with political statements. Baku is patient, but Armenia should not forget how Azerbaijan prevents threats to itself and its citizens when its patience runs out. Yerevan is now facing a choice. If the choice is made incorrectly, the result could be very disappointing. Source: TREND News Agency

The deadline for designating respective spots for placement of election campaign materials on boards in the territory of polling stations expires tomorrow, as stated in the calendar of the main actions and measures for the preparation and holding of the extraordinary presidential election in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. According to the plan, the spots should be created by the local executive body and municipal institutions no later than 30 days before the voting day (until January 8, 2024) on the proposal of the District Election Commission. The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) on Dec. 19 approved the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev, nominated by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), for participation in the extraordinary presidential election. Later, at the CEC session held on December 21, the commission approved the self-nominated candidates of Zahid Oruj and Fuad Aliyev, Fazil Mustafa of the Great Order Party, Elshad Musayev of the Great Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party and Razi Nurullayev of the National Front Party to become candidates for the upcoming election. On Dec. 26, self-nominated Sarvan Karimov, Matlab Mutallimli, Abutalib Samedov, Fikrat Yusifov, Yusif Baghirzadeh, Arzuman Abdulkarimov, Yunus Oguz and Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli have been approved by the CEC to put up their candidacies for the presidential election. Also, on December 30, the CEC approved the self-nominated Namizad Safarov to put up his candidacy for the election. Early presidential election will be held in Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024. The corresponding decree was signed by President Ilham Aliyev. Source: TREND News Agency

The joint action plan was signed between the Ministry of Defense and the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan to strengthen the rule of law and military discipline and prevent crimes in the Azerbaijan Army during 2024, Trend reports, referring to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. According to the plan, the time, venue, and the responsible persons for joint activities to be held during 2024 were determined. At the meetings to be conducted with servicemen during 2024 in the types of troops (forces), Army Corps, formations, and military units, including special educational institutions of the Defense Ministry, relevant activities, aimed at improving the legal knowledge of military personnel, strengthening discipline and law, as well as resolving existing problems, will be held. Source: TREND News Agency

The deadline for setting up polling stations for voters who are in foreign countries and registered in consulates for voting ends tomorrow, as stated in the calendar of the main actions and measures for the preparation and holding of the extraordinary presidential election in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The polling stations were to be established by heads of diplomatic missions or consular offices of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the territories of residence of voters no later than 30 days before the voting day - January 8, 2024. The Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC) on Dec. 19 approved the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev, nominated by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), for participation in the extraordinary presidential election. Later, at the CEC session held on December 21, the commission approved the self-nominated candidates of Zahid Oruj and Fuad Aliyev, Fazil Mustafa of the Great Order Party, Elshad Musayev of the Great Azerbaijan Party, Gudrat Hasanguliyev of the Azerbai jani Popular Front Party and Razi Nurullayev of the National Front Party to become candidates for the upcoming election. On Dec. 26, self-nominated Sarvan Karimov, Matlab Mutallimli, Abutalib Samedov, Fikrat Yusifov, Yusif Baghirzadeh, Arzuman Abdulkarimov, Yunus Oguz and Gulamhuseyn Alibeyli have been approved by the CEC to put up their candidacies for the presidential election. Also, on December 30, the CEC approved the self-nominated Namizad Safarov to put up his candidacy for the election. Early presidential election will be held in Azerbaijan on February 7, 2024. The corresponding decree was signed by President Ilham Aliyev. Source: TREND News Agency

The multicultural environment in Azerbaijan is a paragon for all countries, Chairman of the Albanian-Udi Christian religious community of Azerbaijan Robert Mobili told Trend regarding the statement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, are on a "watch list" for religious freedom. "The multicultural environment in Azerbaijan is a paragon for all countries. The environment has been formed for centuries. Representatives of all religious confessions live in amity. The value that unites us at all times is tolerance. The countries of the world also see that there is no religious or national discrimination in Azerbaijan. Regardless of whether our monuments are Christian or other, all of them are protected and preserved. It has become possible thanks to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev," he noted. The community chairman mentioned that a few months ago he visited the US State Department as a member of the delegation. "We raised the matter there, and during my speech, I suggested visiting our country. After visiting Azerbaijan, they saw its realities with their very own eyes. The reintroduction of this matter in this form has been reemphasized after Armenia's defeat in the war. Armenians want to be the owners of cultural heritage related to Christianity in our liberated lands. In this way, they want to create difficulties for our future generations. Their main goal is to claim in the future that the Christian and Albanian cultural heritage churches and temples located in the liberated lands belong to them. The Armenian Diaspora is behind this agenda, which is being discussed in the United States. The main goal of Armenians is to appropriate the monuments of Christianity before the conclusion of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan," he said. According to Mobili, in the early days of the second Karabakh war the so-called "separatist leader" Arayik Harutyunyan attempted to give this war a religious coloring, but failed. "We liberated both our lands and our cultural and r eligious heritage. The pro-Armenian countries are interested in making the peace treaty depend on them. The successor of Caucasian Albania today is Azerbaijan. And the heirs of the Albanian religious community are the Udi people," he said. Source: TREND News Agency

There is a unique attitude to all religions in Azerbaijan - such attitude is not found anywhere else in the world, Jewish entrepreneur Elkhan Peysakhov told Trend, commenting on the statement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, are on a "watch list" for religious freedom. "Frankly speaking, I am surprised that the US made such a statement. Apparently, this decision was made under the influence of the Armenian lobby. I was born in Baku and have never faced any religious or nationality-based challenges. I always wear the Star of David, and the guests coming from abroad are always surprised and question me about the fact that I wear it in public. I answer them that there are no issues in Baku with such matters, but when I go abroad, I always take it off," he said. "I am proud that I am a Jew and live in Azerbaijan. I live freely here. There is a European synagogue in the very center of Baku, and a mountain Jews' synagogue next to it. Nowhere else in the wo rld, there is such a thing. Azerbaijan has a very good attitude to all religions. We celebrate all Jewish holidays in the country. Azerbaijanis also join the celebrations, which is pleasant," the entrepreneur said. According to Peysakhov, there are no barriers for Jews to live in Azerbaijan following all the canons of their religion. "Even Jews living abroad come here to celebrate holidays and weddings. In particular, Jews have a custom of celebrating the 13th birthday of boys. It's called Bar Mitzvah. They celebrate it in a synagogue in Azerbaijan. Some Jewish friends ask me why I live in Azerbaijan and not in Israel, to which I answer: 'My homeland is Azerbaijan'," he added. Source: TREND News Agency

Armenian lobbying has led to biased narratives in the US on religious freedom in Azerbaijan, US analyst Irina Tsukerman told Trend. She made the remark while commenting on the statement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the inclusion of several countries, including Azerbaijan, on a certain "watch list" in connection with freedom of religion. "Unfortunately, this is a result of extensive Armenian lobbying in an election year and failure of counternarratives by Azerbaijan, which underscores the need to form relationships with US government officials, such as groups for monitoring religious freedom with the State Department, early and maintaining a continuous communication with them, which is what Armenian lobby does well," she said. Tsukerman pointed out that, even without Armenians, those groups are infamous for their lackluster approach in drafting those reports on religious freedom. "During the Trump administration, for instance, that particular group included individuals with clear biases and a complete lack of direct experience with Azerbaijan. They at one point wrote a negative report about Azerbaijan in the State Department report on religious freedom for "discrimination against Shia", seemingly unaware that Azerbaijan is a Shia majority state, and at another point attacked for having arrested violent Al Qaeda and ISIS infiltrators and putting them in prison as an issue of "religious freedom". There is no way to combat that level of ignorance and professional incompetence other than with constant vigilance and consistent communication. Since people populating these groups lack sufficient area knowledge to form informed and independent assessments, biased narratives easily sway their final products resulting in bizarre and absurd results such as the placement of Azerbaijan on the "special surveillance list" and damage to its reputation. The result of course is not only a strain in relations with the US on the government level but the spread of disinformation in social circles which may deter tou rists, investors, or religious delegations from coming to the country and undermine Azerbaijan's image, economy, relationships, political influence, and global standing," the analyst noted. She added that when officials fail to do due diligence on the information they receive from NGOs and base their assessments on convenient talking points or only on one-sided stories from familiar legacy organizations, it ends up being a huge disservice to religious freedom around the world and makes it more difficult to make the most of the many rich relationships the US has with countries like Azerbaijan. "The US takes religious freedom seriously, which is a good thing; the problem is, its actions and policies are only as good as the officials who formulate them. The only way to respond is once again to challenge this perception, invite the State Department delegation to engage in conversation and travel to the country to see diverse religious communities exactly, bring in guests from different religious backgrounds to testify to the contrary, and actively provide the State Department with reliable data and valid counterpoints to the Armenian allegations," Tsukerman concluded. Source: TREND News Agency

Azerbaijan deserves special attention as a country that is a rare example of good interaction between traditional religious communities, as well as an example of harmonious relations between religion and secular power, based on the principle of mutual respect and cooperation, Apostolic Prefect of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan Bishop Vladimir Fekete told Trend. "Azerbaijan is a modern, secular state that respects and encourages national traditions, as well as the spiritual and cultural diversity of society, and I do not understand on what basis a negative idea of religious freedom in Azerbaijan is formed," he said, commenting on the statement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the inclusion of a number of countries, including Azerbaijan, on a certain 'watch list' in connection with freedom of religion. Fekete emphasized that Catholics in Azerbaijan always feel support from the state, expressed in concrete actions. "We often, together with the heads and representatives of the country's religious denominations, participate in various international events dedicated to issues of interreligious, intercultural dialogue, and I always advise everyone interested in this issue to visit Azerbaijan and clearly see that despite all the pessimistic forecasts regarding intercivilizational and interreligious dialogue, given the good will of society and competent state policy, such dialogue is not only possible, but serves the good of society and the strengthening of the state," he said. "We, Catholics of Azerbaijan, are grateful to God that in this country we can freely profess our faith, solemnly celebrate our religious holidays, communicate in an atmosphere of mutual trust and brotherhood with representatives of other religions and serve, to the best of our ability, the good of Azerbaijani society. We always feel the support of the Azerbaijani state, expressed in concrete steps, such as, for example, the financial assistance that President Ilham Aliyev annually allocates to the country's religious communities. A nd in all our needs we always meet understanding from the authorities and willingness to provide assistance," he said. Source: TREND News Agency

Baku: The Western Azerbaijan Community has issued a statement. AZERTAC presents the statement: "Anti-Azerbaijani activities have become a way of life for the ambassador of France to Armenia. The approach of the French ambassador, who thinks that he is "stinging" Azerbaijan in his imagination with xenophobic tweets and statements, is simply ridiculous. This full-time Azerbaijanophob is thus attempting to present himself as the "hero" of the Armenian society. It seems that the French ambassador, by posting such ridiculous tweets, is trying to express his anger and rage that his country has failed for several months to endorse a document against Azerbaijan at the UN Security Council. "The ambassador with a crusader mentality should understand that he is accredited in Armenia and should not interfere in the issues related to the sovereignty of another country - Azerbaijan. As an ambassador, he should rather talk about ensuring the right of return of Azerbaijanis who were expelled from Armenia, the inadmissibil ity of the destruction and desecration of the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people in Armenia as well as mosques, and the misrepresentation of the Blue Mosque. However, ethnic and religious bigotry, Azerbaijanophobia, Islamophobia, charlatanism do not allow this," the Community added. Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency