In the interview, the Azerbaijani head of state spoke about Armenia’s capitulation during the Second Garabagh War, Azerbaijan’s energy policy, and the regional threat posed by Armenia’s nuclear power plant, AZERTAC reported.
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The reports quoted President Ilham Aliyev as saying: “Following the conclusion of the Second Garabagh War, a trilateral statement was signed by the President of Azerbaijan, the President of Russia, and the Prime Minister of Armenia. In fact, this was an act of capitulation by Armenia, because Armenia surrendered. At that time, the Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts, which were still under occupation—we had not yet liberated those territories through military means—were returned to us without a single shot being fired. Naturally, Armenia did not do this voluntarily; we compelled them to do so. If, under wartime conditions, you compel the other side to take such a step, it means that the other side has capitulated.
“So, there is no need to look for any humiliating or insulting meaning in this term. This is simply a reality.”
Touching on Azerbaijan’s growing energy potential, President Ilham Aliyev said: “In our region, there is no other country that is as comprehensively supplied with energy as Azerbaijan, whether in terms of oil and gas or electricity. By expanding our export capabilities to neighboring countries, we will at the same time gain access to the European market. Because we have already reached Europe with our oil and gas, but we also wish to reach the European market with electricity.
“Today, the only existing route is through Georgia and Türkiye, and from there onward to Europe. We must expand these capabilities. In particular, the feasibility study for the Black Sea energy cable project is ready. However, having a second transmission line will only strengthen our capacity. Moreover, as you likely recall, in November 2024, during COP29, the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and I agreed to lay an underwater electricity cable across the Caspian Sea and signed an agreement. That is to say, we must be prepared for that as well.”
