BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia needs to be not only enshrined on paper but also ensured in practice, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said on Friday, on the second day of the CAMCA regional forum in Baku.
"We have always said that we won the war, but it was important to do one more thing – to win peace as well. This is truly a difficult task," H. Hajiyev said.
He noted that Azerbaijan is effectively living in a state of peace today, but the peace process must not remain solely on paper. "We have de facto peace on the ground, but peace must not remain merely on paper," the presidential aide emphasized.
According to him, Azerbaijan seeks to establish a regional architecture based on peace that will ensure long-term peace and stability for the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples.
Hajiyev also noted that Azerbaijan expects amendments to the Armenian Constitution regarding territorial claims against Azerbaijan. "After that, I think the signing of a final peace agreement will become a reality," he said.
At the same time, the presidential aide emphasized that Azerbaijan would like to make peace not only with the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, but also with the Armenian people. "We would like to make peace with the Armenian people," H. Hajiyev said.
He added that trade and business ties are already developing between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and confidence-building measures are being implemented that seemed impossible just a few years ago.
