The South Caucasus has set an example to the whole world - thanks to Azerbaijan

There is no universal recipe for building peace. This is a complex and multifaceted process that requires time, diplomatic efforts, patience and pragmatism. But the most important thing that peace begins with is the desire for peace. Moreover, the desire is sincere.

It is not intermediaries or external players who should be interested in building peace, but the parties to the conflict themselves. Nothing will work without it. A classic example is the quarter-century of negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict mediated by the powers. Armenia and Azerbaijan saw the world in different ways. Yerevan was counting on a kind of parody of peace with the preservation of the occupied territories. Baku saw a just peace based on the principles of international law, without which the region would remain in a state of constant conflict. Today, international law has been restored in the region, which has created the foundation for the peace process. Thanks to the wisdom and foresight of the victor, the region did not turn into an arena of revenge, and the reasonable approach of the former occupier allowed the two countries to move along this path without outsiders.

Addressing the participants of the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the countries of the world to follow the example of the South Caucasus. "We welcome the steps taken to build a peaceful future, peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus, and we hope that this will serve as an example for the whole world," the Turkish leader said.

President Erdogan's statement that these processes can serve as an example for the whole world may seem too optimistic at first glance. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the region is indeed undergoing a unique stage of transformation, which can provide important lessons to the international community.

The South Caucasus has remained a zone of protracted conflicts, mistrust and geopolitical rivalry for decades. However, after the Second Karabakh War, the situation began to change. A new status quo has emerged, based not on frozen conflicts, but on attempts to build a stable balance of interests. The main lesson that can be learned from this situation is that the world does not arise by itself. It becomes possible when the parties recognize the changed realities and are ready to move forward based on them, rather than on fantastic ambitions or a sense of revenge.

The South Caucasus really surprises the world today. The two countries, which have been at war for more than thirty years, have put the enmity behind them and are building normal relations. Not in words, but by taking real steps. After all that happened, no one expected that the sprouts of mutual understanding would appear here earlier than in twenty or thirty years. But five years after the end of the conflict, the former opponents surprised the world. Despite the fact that everyone is talking about the death of international law in a duel with brute force, in the South Caucasus they prove that the principles by which humanity lived after the Second World War are still relevant and capable of maintaining stability. The 2020 war and other defeats have led the other side of the conflict to understand this truth.

All these factors launched a positive process initiated by Azerbaijan, personally by President Ilham Aliyev. This also came as a big surprise to everyone. A country that survived occupation, ethnic cleansing, genocide and other ills brought by its neighbor offered him, after the military defeat, not a disgrace and humiliating peace, but an opportunity to become good neighbors and develop the region together. The damage inflicted by Armenia on Azerbaijan during the years of occupation is comparable to the damage inflicted by the Second World War in our region. If twenty percent of the territory of a small country has been turned into ruins, if it has had to lose tens of thousands of its citizens and accept a million as refugees and internally displaced persons, can we talk about minor damage? Despite this, Baku extended a hand of peace to Yerevan.

The history of wars knows no such examples. Wars ended in different ways, but never before has a defeated aggressor escaped with a "slight fright." Of course, Armenia deserves the most severe punishment, complete isolation and alienation of territories due to the damage it is unable to pay. But what would that mean for the region? The lack of security guarantees, the lack of stability guarantees for future generations, the slowdown in integration processes and development, the difficult moral environment, the constant risks and threats of igniting a new conflict. 

In his New Year's address to the nation on December 31, 2025, President Ilham Aliyev said: "As a victorious country, we extended the hand of peace to defeated Armenia, which is also a manifestation of our far-sighted policy. We don't intend to fight forever. We do not claim the lands of other countries. By using weapons to restore our territorial integrity, we have secured our sovereign rights within the framework of the UN Charter and on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions. The initialing of the peace treaty with Armenia just five years after the Patriotic War once again demonstrates the greatness of our people and the wisdom of our policy."

Wisdom and foresight are two key words explaining why there is no more war in the South Caucasus. There is also the word responsibility. Azerbaijan feels responsible for the region. As a regional leader, as a country capable of large-scale projects and serious steps. A region that has such a leader does not need to seek outside support and patronage. In general, the three countries of the South Caucasus are capable of solving their own tasks. All that was missing was the world to launch these capabilities. Peace has allowed Armenia, which has always been dependent on non-regional actors, to break away from this umbilical cord and feel like an independent unit. It is no coincidence that there are no outsiders in the dialogue between Baku and Yerevan.

During a panel discussion at the Anatolian Diplomatic Forum, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev stressed that our country supports the concept of regional responsibility and believes that regional problems should be solved by the countries of the region themselves. Regional responsibility, according to him, means belonging to a region and independently solving regional problems together with partners, without waiting for external solutions or their imposition.

This is exactly how Azerbaijan itself has always acted. Now, all processes in the South Caucasus are developing according to this principle.

One of the key features of the ongoing processes is the emphasis on economic cooperation. The region is gradually moving from the logic of confrontation to the logic of mutual benefit. In this context, transport and energy projects connecting the countries of the South Caucasus with broader markets play a special role. The occupation of the neighbor's territories has left Armenia without access to these opportunities for many years. After the conflict ended, she was able to take advantage of Baku's initiatives. Such initiatives create the basis for long-term stability, because economic interests reduce the likelihood of new conflicts much more effectively than any declarations.

Armenia has begun to realize another important point - the inevitability of recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors. Only an official renunciation of territorial ambitions can become the strongest guarantee of the preservation of the Armenian statehood. No external patrons can guarantee Armenia's security the way good neighborliness does. Peace with neighbors is the best guarantee.

The South Caucasus today is an example of how even the most complex and painful conflicts can move into a stage of gradual normalization. This is not to say that this process is nearing completion and is going on easily, but the road, as they say, will be mastered by the one walking. This, I think, is the main message that Recep Tayyip Erdogan had in mind: peace is not built instantly, but it is possible where there is a willingness to compromise, pragmatism and a focus on the future.

"We have been at war for more than thirty years. We've been living in peace for six months now. We are learning to live in peace. I can say that it's a special feeling." These words were uttered by President Ilham Aliyev at the ceremony of awarding the "Zaid Prize for Human Brotherhood" in February 2026.

We wish all those countries and peoples who are currently in conflict to experience this special feeling.