On Saturday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave an interview to AlArabiya, a Saudi Arabian TV channel. During the interview, Aliyev spoke about Azerbaijan–US relations and the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the transport routes in the region.
In the interview, Aliyev stated that US President Donald Trump ‘really deserves’ the Nobel Peace Prize, praising his role in Africa, Asia, and the South Caucasus, while additionally calling Trump a leader who ‘wants peace’.
He told AlArabiya he and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had nominated Trump’s candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Aliyev also spoke about progress on the peace deal with Armenia, alleging that the formal document had not been signed because ‘of the provision in the Armenian constitution’.
‘As far as we know, they will amend that provision. Once this amendment is made, meaning that claims against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity are removed from their constitution, a formal peace agreement will be signed’, Aliyev said, likely alluding to Armenia’s declaration of independence, which is referenced in the constitution’s preamble.
Following this, Aliyev discussed whether internal political changes in Armenia could harm the peace deal, stressing that there could be ‘no interference in the [peace] process’.
‘We know that [Armenia is] working on a new draft constitution. But if there is strong foreign interference, yes, it can violate the agreements. But this will be very harmful for Armenia itself, because regardless of who signed the documents in Washington, they were signed by the Armenian leader on behalf of Armenia’.
Aliyev added that any changes to the agreements could seriously worsen relations between Armenia and the US.
Routes that benefit everyone
During the interview with AlArabiya, Aliyev touched on the establishment of a route connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakchivan. Although Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the US have agreed to name the road Trump’s International Peace and Prosperity Route (TRIPP), throughout the interview, Aliyev used the term ‘Zangezur corridor’ multiple times in reference to the route.
While he used the names ‘Zangezur corridor’ and TRIPP, or Trump Route, interchangeably, the former is usually frowned upon by the Armenian side for its reference to Armenia’s southern Syunik province as ‘Zangezur’.
Aliyev said that in November 2020, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani army stopped at the border and ‘told Armenia that they could not cut off our connection with Nakhchivan’.
‘We negotiated with them about these lines of [transport links] for about five years. During this time, we began to build a railway to the Armenian border and built highways to connect with Nakhchivan. We expect the highway projects, as well as the railway, to be ready, possibly next year’, Aliyev said.
He claimed that over the last five years, Armenia ‘did not demonstrate a constructive approach with respect to our demands or legitimate requests’.
Aliyev also stressed that the route ‘must have strong security guarantees’, and that guarantees provided by Armenia ‘alone are not enough’.
‘The Trump administration correctly recognised this legitimate concern, and as a result, TRIPP was born’.
Aliyev told AlArabiya that he is sure that this project will be realised ‘very soon’.
‘The construction of the physical infrastructure, that is, the railway, should not take long, because the distance is only 42 kilometres. If we had to build it, we would have completed it in a year. For Armenia, it will probably take a few more years, because we have more experience in the field of railway construction’.
When asked about the potential role that US investors may have in the project, Aliyev said, ‘it is possible for American investors to do it. Actually, for us, it doesn't matter [if they are involved]’.
‘The main thing for us is that the road is built and there are international security guarantees. In other words, Azerbaijanis should not feel uncomfortable when traveling from Nakhchivan to the main part of the country and back’.
Aliyev also claimed that the route ‘is in no way a threat to Iran’.
‘There have been many rumours in some media outlets and on some websites about plans for Azerbaijan to occupy Zangezur [Armenia’s Syunik province] and cut the border between Iran and Armenia. This is completely false. We have no such intention. In any case, if we wanted to do it, we would have done it’.
He claimed that for Azerbaijan, it was very easy to take those military actions in November 2020.
‘It is only 40 kilometres, it would not take much time from a military point of view. You just come and take it from both sides — from Nakhchivan and from this side of Azerbaijan’, Aliyev told AlArabiya.
He stressed that Azerbaijan ‘has the power for this too’, and ‘everyone knows this’.
Aliyev also mentioned that during the last five years, Azerbaijan has been working on a new corridor that passes through Iranian territory.
‘When Armenia prevented the opening of the Zangezur corridor, we still reached an intergovernmental agreement with the Iranian government that an additional road would be built on Iranian territory, and it was called the “Araz corridor” after the River Araz. Azerbaijan is investing a lot of money in the construction of a bridge over the River Araz to bypass Armenia’.
Nate Ostiller
Aliyev mentioned that after the TRIPP is opened, Azerbaijan will have two roads leading to Nakchivan: one from Armenia, another from Iran.
‘We have also discussed with our colleagues in the Iranian government that there may be a need to build a railway on the other side of the river, in Iranian territory. If so, if Iran builds that road, part of the cargo will pass through Iran’, Aliyev said. He added that ‘the Zangezur corridor will be not only an East-West, but also a North–South transport corridor’.
‘I think it will be a win-win situation for the entire region and no one will lose’, he continued.
Aliyev stated that ‘the Iranian government understands this’ and Azerbaijan ‘will do everything’ to strengthen regional cooperation.
‘I know that the Iranian government understands this and Azerbaijan will do everything to strengthen regional cooperation among all the countries of the region’.
During his interview, Aliyev also spoke about Azerbaijan’s relations with Russia. In response to a question about whether he was ‘afraid’ Russia might take any actions to hinder Azerbaijan’s interests in the region, Aliyev said, ‘I don't want to think about this negative scenario’.
Aliyev referenced Russia’s military base in Armenia, which hosts several thousand military personnel.
‘At the same time, Armenia’s border with Iran and Turkey is guarded by Russian border guards. There is not a single Russian soldier on Azerbaijani soil. So, what could happen in Armenia, I don't know’.
Yousef Bardouka
