Azerbaijan President Aliyev: “We will always stand by our Cypriot brothers”

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev stated at the second Shusha Global Media Forum held this year, “We will always stand by our Cypriot brothers.”
The Shusha Global Media Forum, organized by the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, began in Shusha, the cultural capital of Karabakh, under the theme “Exposing Misinformation: Combating Disinformation.” President Ilham Aliyev delivered the opening speech at the event, which had more than 150 participants from nearly 50 countries. Noting that they are witnessing a historical transformation in the South Caucasus region, President Aliyev said, “We will never forget the occupation, the consequences, the sacrifices we made, and our great victory. We and future generations will be proud of this. However, we should not focus solely on this. We must not use this continuously, nor should we turn it into a symbol. We must look forward. Azerbaijan’s victory in Karabakh is not the only geopolitical change in the region. I can say that there are historical-geopolitical changes occurring in the region. Traditional alliances have somewhat weakened, and new forms of cooperation have emerged. Certainly, the complete restoration of our territorial integrity and sovereignty in September of last year was the most significant event. This was an important event not only between the first and second forums but also in terms of our modern history.”

“Pro-Armenian politicians and media representatives made unfounded claims against Azerbaijan”
Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan has been subjected to manipulation of facts and lies for many years, saying, “Sometimes we are surprised that the information published about Azerbaijan in the international media is accurate. One of these was the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the mobilization of the entire Armenian diaspora. Pro-Armenian politicians and media representatives attacked Azerbaijan with baseless claims.”

“There are no unsolvable issues in our bilateral relations with Russia”
Emphasizing that high-level meetings have recently been held between Azerbaijan and Russia, Aliyev stated, “There is no unsolvable issue in our bilateral relations with Russia, and it has been this way for a long time. This was even the case before the signing of the alliance agreement. We have been establishing relations based on mutual respect, understanding, interests, and relationships between our peoples for centuries. Indeed, the intensity of high-level meetings has increased recently, and there is a significant need for this. In April, we met in Moscow, and at the beginning of this month, we met with Russian President Vladimir Putin within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and we will probably meet again before the end of the year, and the topics we will discuss are quite broad.” Aliyev stated that they want the events happening in Azerbaijan and the region to be addressed objectively by the international media, mentioning that they still encounter some disinformation and that the truths are increasingly emerging in political circles in the West over time.

“COP29 is a very important opportunity for us to be in the top leagues”
Aliyev noted that they were attacked by Western media when it was announced that Azerbaijan would host COP29, saying, “When I spoke with my colleagues, they said this event would be a major headache for Azerbaijan. We were being blamed because we are a country rich in oil and natural gas reserves. The UAE, which hosted COP28, was also subjected to the same accusations. We faced a very organized and large-scale attack by the media. However, as time passes, the impact of these attacks is diminishing. This event is the number one event on the international stage. This event is a very important opportunity for us to be in the top leagues.”

“France’s actions must come to an end”
Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan has been closely involved in the fight against colonialism since its presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement, saying, “Many members of the Non-Aligned Movement have been victims of colonialism in the past. Millions of people have also been victims of colonialism. Some countries are still suffering the consequences. The Gambier Islands and Mayotte Island are still under colonial administration. It was our obligation to help these countries free themselves from the disgusting remnants of the past. Unfortunately, the French government has made accusations against us using the media. They have declared a cold war against Azerbaijan. What France is doing is disgusting and must come to an end. France has no right to interfere in the fate of those people to such an extent. We will continue to support all peoples who have been subjected to colonialism,” he expressed.

“Progress is being made in the normalization process with Armenia”
Aliyev indicated that nearly 90% of the peace agreement text between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been mutually accepted, stating, “Armenia has agreed to remove this provision and the terminology related to Karabakh from there, and thus progress is being made in the normalization process. However, two issues need to be clarified here. One is Armenia’s positive response to our proposals. The second is that Armenia and Azerbaijan need to jointly apply to the OSCE for the cancellation of the Minsk Group. Because this group has not been active for a long time. France cannot carry out any mediation task in this region. If Armenia still wants to maintain the existence of this group, it means that there are still territorial claims against Azerbaijan. This is a test. There are differences between their statements and actions. They used to say ‘Karabakh is Armenia,’ but now they say ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan.’ Now concrete steps need to be taken on this issue,” he said.

“There is a threat against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in the Armenian Constitution”
Aliyev pointed out that there are territorial claims against Azerbaijan in the Armenian Constitution, saying, “There is a threat against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity there. That article mentions the unification of Armenia and Karabakh. As long as that article exists in their constitution, it is impossible to sign a peace agreement. Today, I am less hopeful. Because Prime Minister Pashinyan did not accept to meet with me in England. This meeting was proposed by the British government. Armenia rejected it. We were surprised by this, as four months ago, the German Chancellor (Olaf Scholz) organized a similar meeting in Munich. Prime Minister Pashinyan did not accept the last meeting. If he does not want to meet with me, what peace agreement can be discussed? If he did not want to talk with the British Prime Minister, why was he visiting London and Oxford? So there are many serious contradictions on various issues. But we will see,” he expressed.

“The Israel-Palestine conflict must be stopped and ended as soon as possible”
Aliyev emphasized that he has repeatedly expressed Azerbaijan’s position on ensuring peace and a ceasefire in Gaza, stating, “The Israel-Palestine conflict must be stopped and ended as soon as possible. We have supported Palestine politically and economically for many years. We have always supported Palestine’s desire to establish an independent state, and we support the two-state formula here. To achieve peace in the Middle East, a Palestinian state must be established, and East Jerusalem should be its capital.”

“Participation in the Turkic States Organization summit is an important step towards the recognition of the TRNC”
Recalling that TRNC President Ersin Tatar invited him to Azerbaijan a few months ago, Aliyev stated, “I invited him specifically to the Turkic States Organization Informal Summit. For the first time, he took his place at the table with his own flag. We fulfilled our brotherly duty here. Mr. Ersin’s participation in this meeting is an important step towards the recognition of the TRNC. We will always stand by our Cypriot brothers.”

“We must turn the Turkic States Organization into a global power center”
Aliyev stated that the Turkic States Organization has a very bright future, saying, “This organization requires collective effort to elevate it to even higher levels. Our geography is vast, we have natural resources, and we have a young and increasing population. All these factors demonstrate the potential of our organization. By strengthening our unity, we must turn the Turkic States Organization into a global power center. Some organizations are in decline, but the Turkic States Organization is on the rise. This rise should be comfortable, and we will achieve this through collective efforts. Just a few hundred meters from here, together with my dear brother (President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan), we signed the Shusha Declaration on June 15, 2020. Turkey and Azerbaijan officially became allies. As an organization, we support and protect the independence of each country, putting it above everything else. The victory in Karabakh sent a beautiful message to many addresses. When we are united, our fist will be heavier, iron will be stronger, and hopefully, it will be so,” he stated.
The second Shusha Global Media Forum, which will continue until July 22, will feature four separate panels titled “Determining the Scope of Disinformation,” “Policies and Initiatives to Create a More Resilient Society Against Disinformation,” “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Reality, Media, and Promoting Media Literacy,” and “Climate Movement and Media.” News agencies from nearly 30 countries, 3 international organizations, and 82 media outlets are participating in the forum.