President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Pia Kauma.

The sides exchanged views on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the role of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

The head of state noted that new realities have already emerged in the South Caucasus region. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the latest developments in the region should be considered in the context of Armenia’s 30-year-long occupation and military aggression against Azerbaijan. “It would not be the right approach to put forward views on the region’s future without considering the consequences of this invasion and aggression.”

President Ilham Aliyev noted that Armenia was trying to perpetuate the occupation of Azerbaijani lands. “Mediation missions carried out during the occupation were completely unsuccessful and failed to eliminate the consequences of occupation and aggression.”

The head of state stressed that Armenia did not fulfill its obligations arising from the Statement of November 10, 2020, signed following the 44-day Patriotic War. “Thus, Armenia not only didn’t withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Karabakh but even purposefully used that territory for the transportation of military equipment, personnel of its armed forces and mines. In addition, Armenia failed to honor its obligations related to establishing a link between the East Zangezur and Nakhchivan.”

President Ilham Aliyev noted that such matters are consigned to the past, stating the presence of favorable opportunities for the peace agenda in the region. The head of state underlined that it was Azerbaijan that initiated the peace treaty and its underlying principles in the wake of the 44-day Patriotic War. President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that Azerbaijan advocates for lasting peace in the South Caucasus and favors a regional peace agenda, normalization of relations with Armenia and signing a peace treaty.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan presented a clear and transparent program of co-existence and the right of return, contrasting this with Armenia's denial of the right of return for Azerbaijanis and its silence on the matter.

The parties acknowledged the potential of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as an effective platform for fostering trust between the delegations of Armenia and Azerbaijan.