Aliyev at Baku forum: Azerbaijanism, national unity and the path to peace

At the opening of the VII World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, held under the theme 'Dialogue for a Common Future', President Ilham Aliyev outlined Azerbaijan's position on national unity, sovereignty and peace. He spoke of a state that brings diversity together within a common civic space while independently shaping its own future.

Aliyev said the country's experience should be viewed across its full history, citing the ideology of Azerbaijanism developed under national leader Heydar Aliyev and the Constitution adopted by nationwide vote on 12 November 1995. He stressed that people of all ethnic groups and religions have equal rights under the Constitution and live together as one family.

Aliyev also recalled that the UN Security Council adopted resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 in 1993, calling for an end to hostilities and the withdrawal of occupying forces, but that they were not implemented for years. He described the lack of sanctions against Armenia as an example of double standards. He said the UN resolutions were ultimately enforced by Azerbaijan's army during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, restoring territorial integrity and sovereignty.