Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet in Davos
During the economic summit held in Davos, the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, expressed confidence that the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan will develop successfully. According to Khachaturyan, the process will succeed because both sides are looking forward and are not focusing on the causes of the past, which will allow them to take advantage of the opportunities created today.
“I assure you, this is not ordinary for us; before this, we used to wake up concerned about the events taking place on the border, where there were mostly shootings, casualties, and injuries. Now, we have even forgotten that stressful situation and are focused on the implementation of our programs,” Khachaturyan said.
He emphasized that one of the main prerequisites for the success of peace is that both sides respect each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction, guided by clear principles. Khachaturyan noted that the opening of borders and the free movement of citizens will create new opportunities for regional cooperation, contributing to the development of Armenia and the region.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev also stressed that under these peaceful conditions, bilateral relations have entered a new phase. He also stated that Armenia has requested permission from Azerbaijan to transit its goods to Russia, and while today the transportation is carried out through the territory of Georgia, a day will come when it will be directly from Azerbaijan to Armenia and from Armenia to Azerbaijan, and that day is not far off.
“We have been living in peace for only 5-6 months. This is the first time that independent countries are at peace and can develop economic cooperation. Important petroleum products have already been transported from Azerbaijan to Armenia, which has contributed to a decrease in prices,” Aliyev said.
The two leaders reaffirmed once again that the current peace process aims not at maintaining political power, but at ensuring long-term peace in the region and opportunities for economic development.