On the Tovuzgala border section, known as the Tavush region in Armenia, Armenian border guards officially took over the border’s protection, and the country’s armed forces withdrew. Consequently, from our side, the border will be guarded by the units of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan.
– Why is this so important? – you might ask.
The significance lies in the fact that the area, now a defined border between the countries, was patrolled by Armenians just last week. They believed these lands, taken from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s before the full outbreak of the first Karabakh war, were permanently part of Armenia. However, thanks to the wise policies of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan managed to reclaim four villages without any casualties or a single shot fired. This victory, building on the historic battlefield victories of 2020 and 2023, marks a new phase in the path to restoring peace.
Another aspect that makes the events at the Azerbaijani-Armenian border historic is that negotiations are agreements between parties that, if circumstances are favorable, are formalized in writing. Troop withdrawal, however, is a concrete action resulting from an agreement. Considering the past years when negotiations with the Armenian side took years without any tangible actions, the events at the Tovuzgala border represent a genuine victory for both sides achieved through peace negotiations.
Moreover, the further away the combat and assault units of Azerbaijani and Armenian forces are from each other, the higher the chances for a peaceful process, as provocations from the Armenian side still occur. Not referring to the planned action on February 12 this year when an Armenian sniper wounded an Azerbaijani border guard, leading to retaliatory operations. Rather, we speak of smaller provocations like “firing into the air,” which Armenians still commit. Although such provocations rarely lead to casualties, they can escalate the situation along the contact line into real combat.
This is why it is crucial for Azerbaijan to settle all border issues with Armenia, establish the border clearly with posts and barbed wire, withdraw troops, set up border outposts, and declare readiness for a new phase of partnership. This way, there will be nothing left to dispute, paving the way for either full neutrality and peaceful coexistence or mutually beneficial partnership development, which Azerbaijan is fully prepared for.
Is Armenia ready to abandon separatist ideas and territorial claims against Azerbaijan? It appears that the government led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is indeed inclined towards peace. However, expecting a smooth process with no issues from the Azerbaijani side is unrealistic. If there were no issues, a peace treaty would have been signed long ago.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan said yesterday: “Armenia is ready to sign and implement an agreement on normalizing relations and peace. Regarding Azerbaijan’s position, as we have said before, there are still some disagreements. We are hopeful to achieve a unified text; work in this direction continues. With each meeting, we strive to bring both sides closer.”
What Armenia sees as disagreements from the Azerbaijani side are clear positions for Azerbaijan. Similarly, what we perceive as disagreements from the Armenian side are issues to discuss. Each party has its approach and logic. However, negotiations will undoubtedly proceed with the understanding that Azerbaijan has achieved an unequivocal victory in the war, along with all the peace benefits Armenia gains by accepting Azerbaijan’s cooperation proposals. Azerbaijan might overlook certain issues, such as the deforestation activities by residents of the four returned villages. Vandalism? Certainly, but we will endure and replant trees. The main goal is to have a clearly defined and established border and a signed peace treaty. The rest depends on Armenia: all the benefits of mutually beneficial cooperation with Azerbaijan have long been outlined by President Ilham Aliyev.
Rauf Nasirov
Translated from Minval.az
