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Abbas Ganbay

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Within the framework of the Great Return program, Azerbaijan continues to implement large-scale infrastructure projects, build smart villages and smart cities, as well as the return of residents to their homelands after 30 years of occupation. After the Second Karabakh War, the great victory of the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief President Ilham Aliyev healed the pain that once Azerbaijan's internally displaced people have gone through.

However, the provocations of Armenian separatist "leaders" are still going on, both globally and regionally, which serve for interest of their patrons.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in a recent interview with Euronews, made it clear that Azerbaijan is interested in peace with Armenia, and Armenian minority in Garabagh is offered the chance to accept Azerbaijani citizenship and live in peace, or return to Yerevan and continue to nurture their revenge.

"The President of Azerbaijan has made it clear that it matters to Azerbaijan who the mediator is, but it is not fundamentally important, as Azerbaijan has its own agenda and goals, and whichever mediator satisfies the Azerbaijani agenda, through this mediation a peace treaty will be reached," Azerbaijani political analyst Farhad Mammadov said in a comment for AZERNEWS.

The expert noted that the topic of the peace treaty was not a priority for either Russian or Western mediation. According to him, the parties tried to prioritize the Garabagh issue in the old way using the OSCE Minsk Group and Madrid Principles, while Azerbaijan insisted on the priority of the peace treaty, namely inter-state relations".

The political analyst also touched on President Aliyev's message addressed to the Armenian society, concerning the reality that the Armenian society in Garabagh has the only choices to make - either to continue the struggle, but on the territory of Armenia, or to continue living in Garabagh, as citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to the expert, the Armenian minority living in Garabagh is in a confused state. Because the OSCE Minsk Group, which led the peace process for 30 years, and its co-chairs, representatives of the European Union, as well as a number of institutions, are now instructing Armenia to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Even they turn their faces to them and ask: 'why didn't you punish us if we made a mistake all this time, on the contrary, you always supported us?'

Yes, indeed, after 30 years, Azerbaijan breaks this stereotyped ring, and as a result, the anger of Armenians is directed towards both the West and the members within that organisation that misled them over the time.

"Of course, it is not our problem that the Armenian society has this opinion. Even Azerbaijan has not much expectation from them. It would be good if they make a more rational decision and change their position on the positive trend. But unfortunately, when following the latest developments, no positive situation is observed, on the contrary, we still hear some groundless allegations from Khankandi. Such provocative actions, of course, affects the peace process and aggravates the relations," Mammadov said.

In his comment, Farhad Mammadov also mentioned the ICRC's co-operation with Armenians against Azerbaijan. He emphasized that the committee acts in accordance with the full requirements of the Armenian side, especially in smuggling and other activities, and also drew attention to President Ilham Aliyev's criticism on subordination of the ICRC office in Azerbaijan's Khankendi to Yerevan.

"On the subject of ICRC, President Ilham Aliyev noted the clear position of the Republic of Azerbaijan based on the principles of international law and norms, this vicious practice of subordinating the office in Garabagh to the Yerevan office is completely illogical, there should be either parallel subordination, for a certain period of time, until the reintegration process goes to an extent that the Armenian minority living in Garabagh will go to Azerbaijan, to the same hospitals, schools, etc., or full subordination to the Baku office, so that everything is regulated for Azerbaijan, as the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan should not, in any case, be challenged by such bureaucratic regimes," the expert added.

Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33

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