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Removing a provision that Azerbaijan says contains territorial claims from Armenia’s constitution could clear the way for the final signing of a peace agreement between the two countries, Azerbaijani presidential adviser Hikmet Hajiyev told Anadolu Agency.
Hajiyev spoke during the “Geography of Peace Karabakh: Reconstruction, Stability and Regional Cooperation in the South Caucasus” program, organized by the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Friendship, Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation and the Intercultural Network Association.
He said nearly a year had passed since Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement in Washington, describing the process as evidence of Baku’s commitment to peace.
Hajiyev said Azerbaijan was closely following Armenia’s preparations for a new constitution after the country’s elections.
“There is an issue of a territorial claim against Azerbaijan in Armenia’s constitution,” he said. “We expect it not to be included in the new constitution, meaning that it should be removed. There are such intentions on the Armenian side as well.”
Hajiyev said Azerbaijan would see no remaining obstacle to the final signing of the peace agreement if Armenia approved a new constitution through a referendum and removed the provision.
He said a de facto environment of peace already existed in the region and that efforts to establish lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia were continuing.
Hajiyev said Azerbaijan was carrying out a comprehensive reconstruction process in Karabakh.
“Today, we are building nine cities and 300 villages from scratch in Karabakh,” he said. “New cities, new towns and new villages are being established.”
Thousands of kilometers of roads, bridges and tunnels have been constructed in a short period, while about 60,000 people have begun living, working and studying in Karabakh, he said.
Hajiyev said the threat from land mines remained, but demining operations were allowing residents to be gradually resettled in cities and towns.
“We are in the process of creating a paradise in Karabakh, which is a natural paradise,” he said.
Hajiyev said signals from Armenia and the U.S. indicated that feasibility studies for the Zangezur Corridor were in their final stage and that construction could begin this year.
He said a divided highway extending from Baku to Zangilan on the Azerbaijani side was nearing completion, while the railway line was also close to being finished.
Railway infrastructure in Nakhchivan is being rebuilt, he added.
Hajiyev also noted that Türkiye was constructing the Kars-Igdir railway line. Once the projects are completed, a railway connection linking Nakhchivan with Türkiye will become operational, he said.
“We expect Armenia and the U.S. to begin the construction process of the project they call the Zangezur Corridor, or the Trump Corridor,” Hajiyev said.
Hajiyev also delivered a message to the Turkish public, describing the relationship between Türkiye and Azerbaijan as a historic brotherhood.
“Türkiye and Azerbaijan are an example of brotherhood for the world,” he said. “The relations, friendship and brotherhood between our countries are a gift and a memory inherited from our ancestors and grandparents.”
Hajiyev said some groups were seeking to damage relations between the two countries but argued that their efforts would not succeed.
“The only thing they do is dirty propaganda,” he said. “I call those trying to undermine Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations traitors. Whether they are in Türkiye or Azerbaijan, those displaying such an intention will never achieve their goals, because no one can come between flesh and nail.”
He said the brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Türkiye would continue to grow stronger through the will of their peoples and the leadership of the two countries’ presidents.
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