Mirziyoyev congratulates Aliyev on historic Azerbaijan-Armenia peace declaration

north_east

Tashkent supports US-mediated settlement in South Caucasus

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on August 9. The press service of the President of Uzbekistan reported this.

During the talks, Mirziyoyev warmly congratulated Aliyev and the people of Azerbaijan on the “historic event” — the signing of a peace declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington earlier this week.

The sides expressed confidence that the upcoming official signing of the peace agreement would play a key role in ensuring long-term peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

The presidents also discussed the further development of bilateral strategic partnership and allied relations, in line with agreements reached during Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Azerbaijan in July. Plans for upcoming high-level meetings and joint events were reviewed.

The decades-long conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia centers on Nagorno-Karabakh. While the region was part of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era, its population was predominantly Armenian. Calls for unification with Armenia in the late 1980s sparked interethnic clashes, which escalated into full-scale war in 1991. A ceasefire brokered by Russia in 1994 left Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.

In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured significant territories, including the city of Shusha, during a 44-day war supported by Turkey. In September 2023, Baku regained full control over Nagorno-Karabakh following a brief “anti-terrorist operation,” prompting most of the region’s Armenian population to relocate to Armenia.

It is worth noting that on August 8, in Washington, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a US-brokered peace agreement, mediated by President Donald Trump. The deal commits both countries to ending the conflict, opening diplomatic relations, and respecting each other’s territorial integrity, while also expanding bilateral economic cooperation.