Azerbaijan says if Armenia shows 'political will, path to peace is open’

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan on Thursday said that a peace deal with Armenia is possible if Yerevan “shows the political will.”

"If the Armenian administration shows political will, the path to peace is open. We will see what this political will would be like in the future," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said at a year-end press conference in Baku.

Expressing that important results were achieved this year with regard to peace talks between Baku and Yerevan, Bayramov said this was achieved through bilateral engagements and without the involvement of intermediaries.

Bayramov went on to say that he and his Armenian counterpart could meet at the border of the two countries, or even in each other's countries if conditions allow.

"It is very difficult to achieve progress, but it is easy to undermine the process. Negative rhetoric is harmful. Armenia must pay attention to rhetoric if it wants positive progress. Lately, we have been hearing a few positive messages from Yerevan. We hope this streak continues," Bayramov further said.

Bayramov further expressed that there are still “serious” disagreements between their countries, but their number has decreased.

The foreign minister also touched on India's arms sales to Armenia, indicating that it is not right to treat this as "just a commercial issue."

"There was a long period of conflict and war here. The peace process is now underway. There are a significant number of vengeful forces in Armenia. Such steps embolden these vengeful forces.

"Arming Armenia could be a new source of threat for the region. This could be a blow to peace and prosperity in the region. Countries that want to do business with the region should take into account the interests of all regional countries," Bayramov added.

Meanwhile, commenting on the recent decisions made by Azerbaijan and France to declare two diplomats from each other's embassies as "persona non grata," Bayramov said the tension in relations between the two countries is caused by Paris' approach towards Baku.

"They are not only pro-Armenia but also have a staunch anti-Azerbaijan stance. In most cases, anti-Azerbaijani initiatives are led by France, not Armenia. The future of our relations depends on France, not us," he added.

* Writing by Burc Eruygur