Ilham Aliyev in Al Arabiya interview: “Azerbaijan is shaping a new political reality in the Caucasus”
Azerbaijani president criticises Russia
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev set out Baku’s position on the region, Russia and the wider world.
He spoke in detail about the peace process, the Zangezur corridor, relations with Iran and Russia, as well as Azerbaijan’s role as a mediator in the Middle East. This article highlights key excerpts from the interview.
“The Washington agreement ends the war”
The main topic of the interview was the Azerbaijani-Armenian agreement initialled in Washington on 8 August with US mediation. Aliyev described the document as “the end of more than 30 years of conflict.”
“What happened in Washington is a way out of deadlock. This is the end of the conflict and the end of the war,” he said.
According to Aliyev, the only obstacle to signing a formal peace treaty is a clause in Armenia’s constitution that questions Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
“As far as we understand, they will amend this provision. As soon as that happens, the agreement will be signed,” Aliyev said.
The president also warned that if Armenia violates its obligations in the future, it will “face serious consequences.”
“Not only the United States, but the entire international community supported this process — including the European Union, Türkiye, our friends in the Arab world. In short, the whole international community. That is why we are positive about it. To break this agreement would mean going against the entire world.
“If Armenia stops recognising our territorial integrity, we will do the same with theirs. And who would win and who would lose in that case? I think that is a rhetorical question.
“I believe any future Armenian government will show enough wisdom and take a reasonable approach not to question the agreements reached in Washington. And again: this is an agreement between two states. It is not an agreement between me and Pashinyan,” Aliyev said.
The end of the Minsk Group and the ‘Great Return’
In the interview, Aliyev placed particular emphasis on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group:
“After Armenia recognised Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the legal existence of the Minsk Group is absurd.”
He added that Azerbaijan and Armenia had already sent an official letter to the OSCE agreeing to the group’s closure.
Another important point, Aliyev said, was the return of displaced people. Under the “Great Return” programme, more than 50,000 people have already moved back to Karabakh.
“During the occupation, more than a million mines were planted. Since 2020, around 400 people have been killed or injured in mine explosions. This is the biggest obstacle to the return process,” he noted.
Zangezur corridor – the ‘Trump Route’
Another key topic in the interview was the Zangezur corridor. Aliyev presented the route not only as a link between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, but also as a global transit line.
“This road, connecting two parts of Azerbaijan, will also link Europe and Asia. Armenia, by becoming a transit country, can gain economic benefits.”
Aliyev said that with US backing the project had been given the name the “Trump Route,” and stressed that without “international security guarantees” the corridor would not function.
“There is not a single Russian soldier in Azerbaijan” — Aliyev on whether Moscow could disrupt peace
Asked whether Russia might take steps in the region to undermine the peace process, Ilham Aliyev replied:
“There is not a single Russian soldier on the territory of Azerbaijan. But Russia does have a military base in Armenia with several thousand servicemen. Armenia’s borders with Iran and Türkiye are guarded by Russian border troops. I don’t know what might happen in Armenia. But I don’t want to think about such a negative outcome.”
Crisis in relations with Russia: “We will not tolerate disrespect”
In the interview, Aliyev spoke of Russia in his harshest terms yet. He described the downing of an Azerbaijani plane by Russian forces as a “tragic mistake”:
“The plane should never have been shot down. We are not responsible for the deterioration of relations. But we will not tolerate disrespect.”
For the first time, the president personally accused Moscow of violence against Azerbaijani citizens.
According to him, “two people died under torture, but the official statement said ‘heart attack.’”
Aliyev also used the phrase “Russian invasion of Ukraine” for the first time, saying: “Azerbaijan has supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity from the very first day and will continue to do so.”
“Relations with Iran are friendly and constructive”
Aliyev described relations with Iran as “friendly and constructive” and stressed that rumours claiming Azerbaijan planned to close the Armenian-Iranian border were baseless.
“There were many rumours in some media about an alleged Azerbaijani occupation of Zangezur, or that Azerbaijan supposedly intended to block the Armenian-Iranian border. This was a complete lie.
If we had wanted to do it, we would have done it in November 2020, after the second Karabakh war. And over the past five years, it would not have been difficult. The route is only forty kilometres long. From a military perspective, it would not have taken much time.
But we did not do it and will not do it, because we are not aggressors. We are a people and a country that liberates — and that is what we did. Our war was just, it was a war of liberation on our land, a war for the restoration of justice.”
Aliyev also highlighted Azerbaijan’s investment in building a bridge over the Araz River to bypass Armenia towards Iran.
“When the corridor through Armenia opens, we will have two routes, more opportunities for cargo deliveries: one through Iran and another through Armenia.
We have also discussed with our Iranian colleagues in government the possible need to build a railway on the Iranian side of the river. If that happens, if Iran does it, part of the cargo will pass through Iran,” Aliyev said.
He also underlined the Azerbaijani roots of Iran’s leader:
“We speak without a translator, in the same language, with the same feelings. His position is based on the fact that the Zangezur corridor poses no threat to Iran.”
Mediation in the Middle East and energy policy
Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan is involved in supplying gas to Syria and plays a mediating role in relations between Israel and Syria, as well as between Türkiye and Israel.
“We are a people who suffered from war. Drawing on our experience, we are trying to contribute to stabilisation in the Middle East,” he said.
On energy policy, the president said Azerbaijan now exports gas to ten European countries and plans to increase volumes by a further 8 billion cubic metres by 2030.
In the interview, he named companies from the UAE and Saudi Arabia as key investors in the country’s renewable energy sector.
Turkic states and global vision
Aliyev described the future of the Organisation of Turkic States as a “global centre of power”:
“Our declaration of alliance with Türkiye is the legal foundation for the entire Turkic world. This union could play a stabilising role in the future on the international stage.”
