ISTANBUL

The elimination of a “gray zone” and separatism in Azerbaijan’s territory helps fulfill the promise of international law and justice, the nation’s president said on Tuesday, referring to the recent end of the nearly three-decade occupation of Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

“Our people are experiencing the joy and pride of restoring Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and constitutional order. Eliminating a gray zone in our territory after 30 years and ending separatism is a culmination of international law and justice,” Aliyev Aliyev said in an address to a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in the city of Shusha.

Saying that Azerbaijan has been the author of peace initiatives in the region and a proponent of peace, Aliyev added that a historic environment has emerged not only to normalize his country’s relations with Armenia, but also to sign a peace treaty and transform the South Caucasus into “a region of peace and cooperation.”

He also said large-scale reconstruction and development efforts began in Karabakh following the fall 2020 Karabakh conflict and that Azerbaijan's “Great Return” program to liberated territories is among Baku’s national priorities.

“Along with the revival of Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions and ensuring sustainable resettling of the population, implementing the projects also enables conditions for turning these areas into a developed region,” he said.

Following 44 days of clashes in the fall of 2020, Baku liberated numerous settlements in Karabakh, a region internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, from nearly three decades of Armenian occupation. The war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire.

This Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army initiated local anti-terrorism measures in Karabakh for 24 hours, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty in the region, has reiterated its call on the Armenian population in Karabakh to become part of Azerbaijani society.

The ECO is a political and economic intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 by Türkiye, Pakistan, and Iran to serve as a platform to discuss and improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities.

It has seven other members: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.