The Jerusalem Post has published an article, headlined “Armenia, learn from Abraham Accords, make peace with Azerbaijan”, by Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the UK, News.Az reports.

The article says that speaking at the recent celebration of the Abraham Accords anniversary in London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted the current and future benefits for participant nations as a result of the accords. It also says Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev believes that lasting peace is the best guarantee for sustainable security and development for our entire region.

“Although the context is different in the Caucasus, a similar emphasis on the dividends of peace stands as a key element in normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, building on its long-standing policy of championing regional integration, leading major infrastructure projects and promoting prosperity through cooperation, has offered Armenia to move forward with normalization and restoring transportation and economic links. Yet, what we continue to witness is a pragmatic, reality-based Azerbaijani approach versus Armenia’s continued ideological and self-harming reluctance to become a fully integrated part of the region wherein it exists,” Ambassador Suleymanov notes.

The diplomat emphasizes that immediately after the decisive military victory of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev’s proposal for full normalization of relations to Armenia is a rare move in the world.

“This offer came despite the pain of the three-decades-long illegal occupation by Armenia, mass displacement of population and indiscriminate Armenian missile attacks against civilian cities during the 44-day war. Therefore, Azerbaijan presented a five-point basis for a peace agreement, which included mutual recognition of territorial integrity and delimitation of borders, among others,” he says.

Ambassador Suleymanov also underscores the need for Armenia to act and move beyond vague statements, with contradictory caveats, toward real peace.

“Armenia has never fully enacted its formal independence. Having foreign military bases on its soil and foreign guards protecting its borders, Armenia has never fully enacted its formal independence. Therefore, Yerevan’s desperate appeals for external support, be it from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, France or neighboring Iran, while futile, are not altogether surprising. Refusing to engage in genuine peace talks and over the 30 years of conflict, Armenia has rejected numerous internationally-mediated peace proposals and outsourcing one’s sovereignty externally led to a thorough defeat and an enormous opportunity cost for generations of Armenian citizens,” he adds.

The diplomat stresses that while Azerbaijan is focusing on rebuilding and reviving the lands devastated by senseless Armenian occupation with the participation of international partners, including British and Israeli companies, Armenia’s delay tactics, once again, come at the expense of its own future.

In his article, the ambassador also touches upon relations between Azerbaijan and Israel.

“A recent and long-awaited decision of the Azerbaijani Parliament to open the embassy in Israel solidifies this partnership through a formal diplomatic presence. Moreover, as a strong supporter of peace between Israelis and Palestinians and a friend of the Palestinian people, Azerbaijan also announced the opening of a representative office in Ramallah. With turmoil around our region growing in intensity and tensions in the wider neighborhood increasingly inflamed, it is time for Armenia to take a cue from the Accords and, for once, not miss a historic opportunity for peace by looking towards the future, rather than dwelling on its past,” he concludes.

News.Az