Azerbaijan Seeks Peace Talks with Armenia Without Western Interference

Azerbaijan's presidential advisor, Hikmet Hajiyev, indicated on Tuesday that "Baku wishes to conduct bilateral peace talks with Armenia, confident that they can reach an agreement quickly without the necessity for Western mediation." In an interview with Reuters, he stated, "Signing a peace treaty is not an extremely difficult task. If the intentions are good, the fundamental principles for a peace agreement can be established swiftly." However, Hajiyev responded regarding Western interference, saying, "We need peace in our region, not in Washington, Paris, or Brussels." Azerbaijan and Armenia have fought two wars over the past three decades over the territory of Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been effectively governed by a majority Armenian population that declared independence in the 1990s. Azerbaijan regained control of the region in September, leading to the mass displacement of nearly all Armenian residents, estimated at around 120,000 people.