Aliyev Complains to U.S. About Armenia’s Constitution
President Joe Biden called on his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, to finalize a peace agreement with Armenia by the end of this year.
In a letter addressed to Aliyev, Biden also voiced the United States’ support for “a durable and dignified peace between the two countries,” the Azertac news agency reported.
“I am pleased to see that your nation and Armenia have made steady progress toward finalizing a peace agreement that would normalize relations between your two countries. I want to assure you that the United States stands ready to support a durable and dignified peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia that would finally put to rest centuries of conflict,” Biden told Aliyev.
“A peace agreement would not only ensure Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, it would transform the entire region–paving the way for increased trade, investment, and connectivity between Europe and Central Asia,” the U.S. president said.
“As the world’s attention turns to Baku for COP29, you have a unique opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to peace in front of a global audience. As you know, finalizing the remaining articles of the peace agreement will require creativity and compromise on all sides,” Biden added.
“But I am confident that you will continue to meet this moment, and I encourage you to finalize an agreement this year. I want you to know that I am committed to supporting this cause,” Biden urged.
“My Administration is prepared to take bold initiatives that would help pave the way for peace. I have asked my Senior Director for Europe, Michael Carpenter, to brief you on some of the steps we would be willing to take and also to get your feedback on discussions with Armenia. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to set a new course for the region, one based on shared prosperity and the pursuit of common good,” Biden said.
While meeting with Carpenter on Monday, Aliyev complained to the American official about his concerns over Armenia’s Constitution, which he has used to stall the process of finalizing a peace deal. In fact, on several occasions, Aliyev has threatened not to sign the accord, unless Armenia changes its constitution, which the Azerbaijani leader has said contains territorial claims from his country.
“Azerbaijan is the initiator of the peace agreement,” Aliyev told Carpenter, according to the APA news agency.
“Armenia’s delay in sending its latest proposals on the text of the peace agreement—after 70 days—raises certain concerns about Armenia’s intentions to advance the process,” Aliyev added.
“Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, based on constitutional grounds, remain a key obstacle to finalizing the peace agreement,” Aliyev has said, adding that Azerbaijan will continue to take decisive steps toward advancing the process.
