President Aliyev promises to continue peace process with Armenia in his inauguration speech

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev was sworn in for his fifth term in Baku on Wednesday, after winning the early elections with more than 92% of the vote.

In his inauguration speech President Aliyev vowed to continue the reconciliation process with Armenia, but he insisted on the terms and the process that in his opinion Yerevan must respect.

The president said Azerbaijan is ready to move on from the decades of conflict with its neighbour, but that it will continue maintaining a high combat readiness for its army.

Aliyev also insisted that the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan can only be achieved by the two countries without any foreign interference.

'Mind your own business'

“We do not need a mediator in this matter. I have said this before and I want to say it again from this lectern. We have resolved our problem. We have initiated the signing of a peace agreement with Armenia. We were the author of the five well-known principles. We also wrote the text of the peace agreement and sent it to the Armenian side.

"Now, if Armenia wants to comply with the norms of international law, this agreement will be signed. If it doesn't and if groundless claims continue to be made against us, this agreement will not be signed, but nothing will change for Azerbaijan. I have already said that we should be ready for the challenges ahead of us, for the ugly policy being conducted against us. Therefore, I think that the process of normalisation of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations should be dropped from the international agenda. Because everyone seems to want to deal with this issue. Mind your own business! This is why I don't want to spend a lot of time on this topic, because it's not worth it. We have resolved our problem,” the president said.

Aliyev said investments in the military continue to be a top priority for Azerbaijan, also in the current geopolitical context.

“Everyone sees the developments unfolding in the world today. The world has actually come very close to a third world war. Some believe that the third world war has already started. (…) Modern warfare is very different. It is not even possible to compare World War II with today's wars. Many countries have started paying attention to the military field today. We have been doing this for more than 20 years, and the experience we have today, including our combat experience, is invaluable. Our army has demonstrated its strength not in exercises, not in parades, but on the battlefield.

COP 29 host

“Armenia and those supporting it militarily should understand that nothing can stop us. If territorial claims against us are not abandoned, if Armenia does not bring its legislation into order, of course, there will be no peace treaty. This once again suggests that building an army and strengthening the military potential is the primary objective. This has already become the main task for many countries. It can be clearly seen in their military doctrines, their budget expenditures and other steps.”

The president said that Azerbaijan is also looking forward to what he called “new horizons in the direction of foreign policy in this new era”.

“Whereas in the previous period the main direction of our foreign policy was the solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, today this issue is almost no longer on the agenda. This is why new directions of our foreign policy should prevail. We will be more active in solving problems of concern in the world, including climate change, considering we will be the host and chair of COP29.

"We will fight against Islamophobia"

We must be at the forefront of the fight against Islamophobia in the world. We should be with the countries fighting against neo-colonialism. Those responsible for neocolonialism should also know that they have unleashed a cold war on us in vain. We will not lag behind. We have never been on the defensive. We will take adequate measures to the steps taken against us, and those who are preparing cunning plans against us, I am sure, will regret it,” the president warned.

Aliyev said while his country is pressing on with green energy developments, Azerbaijan wants to be a reliable partner in oil and gas supplies.

“Work will be continued in the field of conventional fuel – oil and gas. Work is under way on stabilising oil production, I think there will be results in the near future.

"Regarding natural gas. We are already exporting natural gas to eight countries. The demand is greater, first of all, of course, from the European Union. More and more people are asking us for help. And we, as a reliable partner, are always ready to help those in need. And we do provide this help, which is appreciated,” the president said.