AZE.US
Azerbaijan has no plans to deploy special forces to Armenia’s Syunik region, and public calls for such action do not reflect Baku’s official position, Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade said.
Velizade, head of the South Caucasus Political Scientists’ Club, made the remarks during an appearance on the Echo Baku YouTube channel.
The discussion followed comments by former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofig Zulfugarov that triggered a sharp reaction in Armenia. Some Armenian commentators portrayed his remarks as a possible signal from Azerbaijan’s political leadership.
Velizade rejected that interpretation, stressing that Zulfugarov is a former official expressing his personal view.
“We are not going to send any special forces there,” Velizade said. “At least, this is not going to happen in the foreseeable future unless the situation develops into some kind of critical military scenario.”
He noted that under international law and the provisions of the initialed peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Syunik is recognized as part of the Republic of Armenia.
Velizade also recalled that President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly said Azerbaijan has no military or political objectives beyond its internationally recognized territory of 86,600 square kilometers.
“That is the official position. It can be found on the websites of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration,” he said.
Personal Opinion, Not State Policy
According to Velizade, a proposal to conduct a military operation would have to come from current government officials, diplomats or security agencies before it could be regarded as an official signal.
No such statements have been made by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry or other state institutions, he said.
“If this were the position of Azerbaijan’s political leadership, we would have heard it from representatives of the current government,” Velizade said.
He added that both Baku and Yerevan are currently emphasizing the peace agenda and the implementation of agreements already reached between the two sides.
“On both sides, the rhetoric is focused on peace, the fulfillment of agreements and further progress in the peace process,” he said.
Pashinyan Is Visiting Armenian Territory
Velizade described the controversy over a possible Azerbaijani military deployment as a “storm in a teacup.”
He said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visits to Syunik do not require a response from Azerbaijan because the Armenian leader is traveling within his own country and meeting local residents.
In the past, Baku issued strong protests when Armenian political and military officials visited Azerbaijani territories that were under Armenian occupation. The current situation is fundamentally different, Velizade said.
“Pashinyan is visiting the territory of his own country,” he said. “Azerbaijan’s official authorities have never expressed concern over such visits.”
Velizade added that attempts to present comments by a former minister as a coordinated message from President Ilham Aliyev have no factual basis.
Former officials and political analysts are free to express their personal views, he said, but those statements should not automatically be treated as the policy of the Azerbaijani government.
AZE.US