(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 26. President
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev took part in the enlarged session of the
Supreme Eurasian Economic Council as a guest at the invitation of
President of Russia Vladimir Putin, trend reports.
The participation of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev in this meeting does not mean that Azerbaijan will become a
member of this association.
There is a more important issue that determines
Azerbaijan's participation in this event. This is due to the
holding of a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan,
Russia, and the Prime Minister of Armenia.
However, this does not mean that Azerbaijan has not
developed good relations with the members of this association.
Except for Armenia, Azerbaijan has quite positive relations with
all the member states of the union.
Azerbaijan's trade turnover with these countries on a
bilateral basis, except Armenia, is about $5 billion.
Azerbaijan does not need to be part of any economic
forum or union, because Azerbaijan is a self-sufficient country
with a stable economy and does not need any external support. This
allows it to pursue an independent foreign policy, and Baku can
demonstrate its determination on any issue.
Both Russia and Azerbaijan know well what they want.
Russia's main interest today is also connected with the opening of
the Zangazur corridor.
No matter how many positive responses the Armenian
Prime Minister has given over the past month in connection with the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the opening of
communications, the position of Yerevan remains uncertain. Armenia
is blackmailing Russia, leans towards the West, and avoids
fulfilling the provisions of the trilateral statement signed with
the mediation of Russia.
After the 44-day Karabakh War, the situation changed
dramatically. Azerbaijan has turned from a subject of the conflict
into a party that solved it.
For the UN, the EU, and Russia, this result was
unexpected. Armenia, unlike Azerbaijan, is still a subject of this
global game. And over time, Armenia loses its position in relations
with these parties. As a result, any proposal put forward by
Armenia is no longer taken seriously.
The participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev as a guest at the expanded meeting of the Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council in Moscow is necessary. At the meeting attended by
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, touching upon the successful development of Azerbaijan's
cooperation with the member countries of the Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council, except Armenia, once again brought to the
attention of Yerevan that a historic opportunity for normalization
of relations has appeared.
"Azerbaijan's cooperation with EurAsEC member countries, with
the exception of Armenia, has been successfully developing for 30
years. There are serious opportunities for the normalization of
relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of mutual
recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty. Today, on the
initiative of the Russian side, a trilateral meeting of the heads
of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will take place," President Ilham
Aliyev said.
Announcing that the Zangezur corridor will become part
of international railway routes, President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev brought to Armenia's attention the opportunity to take
advantage of the chance to get out of the difficult geo-economic
and political situation. "Azerbaijan is an important participant in
the North-South transport corridor project. We have also initiated
the creation of the Zangezur corridor, which will not only connect
the main part of the country with the Nakhchivan Autonomous
Republic but will also become a part of international railway
routes," President Ilham Aliyev added.
"There are serious opportunities for the normalization
of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of mutual
recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty," President
Ilham Aliyev said.
The statement of the Russian President during his
speech that it is much more important to have an agreement on the
issue of territorial integrity between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and
is indeed the basis for agreeing on other issues of a secondary
nature.
If the future of his people and state is a priority
for Pashinyan, who is already known in the political arena as an
unreliable politician, then he should definitely take advantage of
this opportunity and think about steps to transform Armenia into a
full-fledged regional state. And this depends on the opening of
communications, and the transition from statements about the
recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan to concrete
practical steps.