The World Urban Forum to be held in Azerbaijan in the coming days is one of the indicators of the country's international prestige.
Modern.az reports that this was stated by Milli Majlis deputy Fariz Ismayilzade at the round table organized by the Media Development Agency on the topic "President Ilham Aliyev's peace strategy is a guarantor of stability". The deputy emphasized that Azerbaijan has become one of the most experienced countries in the world in this field. According to him, all this shows that Azerbaijan treats Karabakh as its native land:
"Billions of funds are allocated from the state budget every year to rebuild those territories, to restore peace and stability there, and to develop the region. This also shows that President Ilham Aliyev's policy consists not only of political statements, but is accompanied by concrete practical steps."
In his speech, the deputy also touched upon the political processes taking place in Armenia. In his opinion, there is currently a serious struggle for a new political outlook in this country. F. Ismayilzade also added that in this process, the radical opposition, diaspora organizations, oligarchs and the Armenian church take the same position:
"In recent times, the influence of the Armenian diaspora and certain interest groups is clearly visible in the resolutions adopted against Azerbaijan in some European countries. The financial support of the oligarchs, the involvement of the church in the process, and revanchist ideology combine to try to hinder the peace process."
He also noted that some foreign forces also intend to maintain control over the South Caucasus.
Milli Majlis deputy Rizvan Nabiyev said that the messages given in President Ilham Aliyev's speech were addressed to both regional powers and Armenia's political elite.
According to him, the opinions expressed at a time when parliamentary elections are approaching in Armenia have a special political meaning.
The deputy emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev's statement "if we didn't want it, there would be no peace" is an indicator of the political will formed by Azerbaijan in the region:
"Azerbaijan demonstrated its strength not only on the military field, but also on the political-diplomatic level. One of the points specially emphasized by the President was the issue of ultimatum. As a result of the ultimatum given by the Commander-in-Chief, Aghdam, Lachin and Kalbajar were liberated without military operations."
The member of the Milli Majlis noted that the military operations carried out by Azerbaijan were carried out in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law:
The deputy also drew attention to the extent of the damage caused by Armenia to Azerbaijan:
"According to the most conservative estimates, the damage caused to Azerbaijan is 150 billion US dollars."
In his speech, the parliamentarian also touched upon France's policy in the region:
"After facing failures in various regions, France is looking for new geopolitical spheres of influence and sees Armenia as the next outpost. There is a serious difference between President Macron's rhetoric and his real policy."
The deputy also drew attention to the recent statements of the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan and stated that new realities have already begun to be accepted in Armenian society. R. Nabiyev added that the political realities formed by President Ilham Aliyev have created new opportunities for peace and cooperation in the region. Finally, the deputy drew attention to Azerbaijan's growing international prestige.
