NEWTIMES

Today we are offered the chance for stability – with mutual prosperity as corollary. We have the opportunity to know one another, to grow safer and prosper together. Eventually, all of these confidence-building measures may lead us to an ultimate peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But instead of peace and cooperation, seeking revanchism could bring another disaster and tragedy. In Azerbaijan we have always believed that should Armenia pursue peaceful policies with its neighbors, then it can and must benefit from regional cooperation. So, we say, let's transform the South Caucasus for better, and in peace.

Now those who put pressure on Turkey using false Armenian claims are the ones who were defeated in the war with the Ottoman state. These forces then wanted to dismantle the Ottoman Empire and destroy it as a state. Thus, they wanted to wipe off Turkey the political map of the world. From those battles, the Republic of Turkey was established, which was stronger, and more independent. Despite the loss of land, a democratic state was established in the territory of the Ottomans. This made the friends of Turkey happy, they considered him their friend, and their enemies are still digging a pit for the Republic.

The Second Karabakh War (September 27 – November 10, 2020) between Armenia and Azerbaijan lasted 44 days, but it caused overwhelming changes in the politics of the South Caucasus that will shape the future of the region in the months and years to come. Not only has the war ended the three decades old occupation of the twenty percent of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia but alsobroughtTurkey as a counterbalancing force into the region that was traditionally under Russia's political dominance.

The Zangezur corridor can boost the development of transport links within the Turkic Council

The Second Karabakh War ended with the signing of the trilateral declaration between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia on November 10, 2020. The declaration, which stopped the war and laid the foundation for solving other thorny issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the liberation of the remaining territories under occupation (Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin) as well as the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region, may have heralded the dawning of a different period in the history of a long war-ravaged region of the South Caucasus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Turkey at a critical time for his country. He discussed the defense sector, free trade agreement, and tourism issues at the 9th meeting of the Turkey-Ukraine High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council held on April 10. By the way, the Turkish President visited Kyiv to participate in the 8th meeting of the Turkey-Ukraine High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council held in February 2020. Official Ankara has repeatedly stated that the ensuring and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states are among the key priorities for them. Turkey protects this idea about all countries, including its neighbors Syria, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and others. Official Ankara's relations with Ukraine are based on these principles.

US President Joseph Biden has addressed a congratulatory letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the Novruz holiday. It marked the first official contact between the heads of the two states. In his letter, the US President stressed that Azerbaijan is among the key actors in the region.

The former conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus was the main threat to regional security and economic integration. The second Karabakh war which started on 27 September 2020 was a full-scale war. It is very important to highlight that long-lasting Minsk Group-mediated diplomatic talks were resultless. In addition, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's position, when he called into question the "Madrid Principles", led the peace process to a deadlock in which the only way for Azerbaijan to restore its territorial integrity, was successful military operations.

The trilateral declaration signed between the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia on 10 November of 2020 created substantial cooperation opportunities for all regional countries. The signing of the declaration ended "The Second Karabakh War," which began on 27 September, continued for 44 days and led to the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Declaration envisions not only cessation of military operations but also restoration of all transport connections in the South Caucasus which had been restricted because of the occupational policy of Armenia for about three decades.

It goes without saying that the use of natural gas will play an important role in the coming years.