By Akbar Hasanov, Day.az

“The time has come to establish peace in the South Caucasus,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a joint press statement with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi.

These were very important words from the head of our state, which should not only be heard in Yerevan, Moscow, Washington, Paris, and Brussels, but also taken into account for planning their future policy in our region.

We see what is happening now in different parts of the planet. The Russian-Ukrainian war is still ongoing, which daily claims the lives of hundreds of military personnel on both sides. At the same time, missile attacks and drone raids have become regular not only against peaceful Ukrainian cities but also against populated areas of the Russian Federation. And there is no end in sight to this war.

Moreover, all of Eastern and Western Europe are living in a new reality, when the risk of the war spreading to these countries, from the point of view of politicians and the expert community, is quite high. Actually, this is why many European countries are sharply increasing their defense budgets, buying more and more new types of weapons, and talking about the Third World War wherever the opportunity arises.

And we also see how the war came to Israel. Hamas militants fired rockets at many Israeli cities, and they invaded the territory of the Jewish state, shooting and capturing hundreds of citizens of this country. There is a real risk of this war spreading wider and involving other states in it. In a word, the situation in the Middle East is also depressing and blood is being shed.

Against this background, you especially begin to appreciate the peace that has been established in the South Caucasus region. Azerbaijan, having brilliantly carried out anti-terrorist measures in the Garabagh economic region, liquidated the Armenian illegal formations, forced the Garabagh junta to dissolve itself, detaining and bringing to Baku its former leaders and the spiritual and financial instigator of the new war, billionaire Ruben Vardanyan.

Now Azerbaijan is forced to fend off attacks from the patrons of the RA occupation policy, proving its right to restore constitutional order on its territory. Our country has restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity and is actively promoting the peace agenda, while German revanchists and the countries that patronize them still cherish hopes of a new plunge of the South Caucasus into a state of controlled chaos.

“Three years ago, as a result of the Second Garabagh War, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity, last month it restored its sovereignty over the entire country. And now we must actively work on a peace treaty that will be signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. If we achieve this, - I hope so, then a completely new political situation will arise in the South Caucasus,” President Ilham Aliyev rightly noted.

These were the words of a global politician who has proven the ability to build and implement brilliant strategy and tactics for great victories on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.

These were the words of one who managed to achieve the implementation of the most ambitious projects, from which both Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Georgia, and other countries of the world receive enormous profits.

These were the words of someone who is focused on new, positive changes in the South Caucasus. And this despite the fact that Armenia still holds 8 Azerbaijani villages under occupation, having officially signed up to recognize the territorial integrity of our country, including the Garabagh economic region and enclaves. It is precisely this, forcing official Yerevan to fulfill its obligations, that those who want to position themselves as the main center for bringing together the positions of Armenia and Azerbaijan should devote time to.

And today a clear message was sent to all of them - official Baku is ready to sign a peace treaty with Yerevan, proposing a new format for this.

“If this is not one-sided and not biased, then, of course, we accept any mediation and assistance. But, in my opinion, the most correct choice in this area, taking into account both historical ties and the geographical factor, of course, could be Georgia,” - the Azerbaijani President said.

This creates an alternative to peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan in Brussels, under the auspices of the EU. Azerbaijan does not abandon them but shows that there cannot be a monopoly on such an issue as the formation of a peaceful future of the South Caucasus. This is exactly the same fair, justified, and firm position as France’s refusal to mediate in the negotiation process. It has tarnished itself too much by demonstrating a one-sided, unfair approach, and even flaunting its provocative, anti-Azerbaijani, anti-Turkish foreign policy.

Peace in the South Caucasus, first of all, must be forged by the countries of the region. This is such an obvious truth that it is even inconvenient to repeat it over and over again. All countries and organizations trying to play their role in our region cannot be more interested in the peace and prosperity of the South Caucasus than the Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Armenians, Turks, and Iranians. And therefore, the proposal of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is not only justified, logical, and correct, but also indisputable. The main thing is not to miss that unique, historical chance to establish lasting peace in our region. Mira, the price of which is well known in Azerbaijan. A world that has gained even greater value in light of the tragic events in different parts of our planet.