Azerbaijan must walk the talk before preaching peace to others

Citizens walk past near the COP 29 banner on September 23, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan
Citizens walk past near the COP 29 banner on September 23, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan

The furore in the British press this month over the language used to describe the ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh comes at an emotional moment: it is one year since the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forcefully displaced by Azerbaijani forces.

Yet, Azerbaijan continues to resist signing a peace agreement, fostering a sense that “might is right”. Western pressure is urgently needed to help secure a just and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And the current moment offers a rare opportunity to achieve this goal.

Newspaper reports tell us that Azerbaijan plans to use its hosting of COP 29 in November to call for a “global truce” in all armed conflicts. While this intention is commendable, it contains an ironic twist. Azerbaijan could itself demonstrate its commitment to peace by signing a peace agreement with Armenia, which has already expressed its readiness to sign the parts of the agreement agreed upon by the parties, free from artificial preconditions or demands.

Our goal is simply peace between equal, sovereign nation-states. This is not just about ending hostilities; it is about turning the page on our shared history and the history of our region.

The Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative envisions our region as economically and politically interconnected and prosperous, where cooperation and coexistence replace conflict and division. For this vision to become a reality, Azerbaijan must abandon delaying tactics and unreasonable demands, such as insisting on amendments to Armenia’s Constitution. Peace cannot be imposed; it must be mutually agreed upon, with both parties willing to approach each other as equals.

COP 29 being held in Baku this year is the result of a significant agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan – a rare moment of optimism in our troubled region. Armenia agreed to lift its veto and support Baku’s bid as a confidence building measure, in exchange for Azerbaijan’s commitment to return thirty-two Armenian prisoners of war who had been unlawfully detained in Baku.

This agreement was seen as a beacon of hope that peace might finally be within reach. However, since then, Azerbaijan has unleashed a barrage of threats and unreasonable demands toward Armenia, undermining the fragile foundation of that hopeful agreement.

With global attention now focused on Baku ahead of COP 29, Azerbaijan has a historic opportunity to put its stated commitment to peace into practice. Armenia is taking every necessary step toward this goal. It has proposed confidence-building measures, including the establishment of a joint mechanism to monitor and investigate ceasefire violations. So far, these proposals have been met with silence from Azerbaijan, which continues to accuse Armenia of ceasefire breaches without evidence.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan criticizes Armenia’s acquisition of arms for self-defence. Yet it simultaneously receives frequent arms shipments itself. In response, Armenia has proposed an arms control mechanism between the two nations – a proposal Azerbaijan has swiftly rejected.

Azerbaijan’s opposition to the unarmed EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia, whose sole purpose is to promote stability and accountability in the region, is particularly troubling. While Azerbaijan has every right to refuse the Mission’s presence within its own territory, its insistence on the mission’s withdrawal from Armenia is at best unreasonable, at worst an attempt to remove international witnesses whilst preparing for another attack.

Peace in the region cannot be Armenia’s responsibility alone. Azerbaijan should demonstrate to the international community that it is genuinely committed to peace.

Likewise, the international community should weigh up Azerbaijan’s actions against its rhetoric ahead of COP 29. Words are important. Achieving genuine peace requires an unwavering commitment, but also accountability and adherence to international law. Baku must decide whether to seize this opportunity for progress, or continue down a path that will only breed further conflict.


Varuzhan Nersesyan is the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the UK