Azerbaijani Political scientist: The world today needs peace more than ever

The world today seems to be hungry for peace. Unfortunately, conflicts in the international environment are not decreasing. On the contrary, both their number and their scale are growing. The most dangerous aspect is that instead of being resolved, conflicts are becoming deeper and taking on a global character. Against this backdrop, we can clearly see how urgently the international community needs peace.

This was stated by political commentator Khayal Bashirov in a comment to The Daily Baku.

According to him, in the post Cold War period the international political architecture has failed to deliver tangible results in terms of resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

“If we look at this period, we see that the only conflict that has been fully and realistically resolved is the former Karabakh conflict. The initiator, author, and executor of this process is the Azerbaijani state and its President Ilham Aliyev. This was not a random or spontaneous decision, but the result of a consistent political, economic, and military strengthening strategy pursued over many years.”

Khayal Bashirov noted that until 2020 President Ilham Aliyev systematically strengthened the country in all directions, led the Azerbaijani Army as Commander in Chief during the Second Karabakh War, and achieved a historic Victory within 44 days.

“Subsequently, Azerbaijan’s sovereignty was fully ensured through anti terrorist measures. After that, an extremely intense political and diplomatic struggle continued for nearly five years. All of these processes were personally led by President Ilham Aliyev.”

According to the commentator, the agreements reached in Washington on August 8 last year and the initialing of the peace agreement text represent one of the most important and successful stages of this process.

“Yes, US President Donald Trump also played a political role at the final stage. However, the author of the process and its main driving figure is President Ilham Aliyev. This is already an internationally accepted reality.”

Khayal Bashirov emphasized that today it is impossible for any platform discussing peace initiatives to be fully effective without the participation of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev.

“Ilham Aliyev has already become a peace brand. We do not use this expression by chance. Any peace initiative involving President Ilham Aliyev automatically increases the credibility, attractiveness, and international attention of that platform. Donald Trump and other world leaders understand this very well.”

He added that while some leaders may be reluctant to acknowledge this reality, others state it openly.

“Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic openly expressed President Ilham Aliyev’s leadership and his irreplaceable role at the Davos World Economic Forum. Statements made by Donald Trump about President Ilham Aliyev also show that he is one of the rare leaders who has brought a historic conflict to a real and concrete conclusion.”

The political commentator also touched upon the nature of the Davos forum, stressing that it is no longer just an economic platform.

“More than 60 heads of state and government, and nearly 400 political leaders in total, take part in Davos. This shows that the most pressing political issues are discussed there. Especially against the backdrop of the Russia Ukraine war, developments in the Middle East, and new geopolitical tensions around Europe, this year’s Davos may be the most politically charged forum in its history.”

According to him, the strong interest in President Ilham Aliyev’s meetings in Davos proves Azerbaijan’s growing international weight.

“It is no coincidence that many heads of state and government, as well as executives of international companies with financial turnovers exceeding the budgets of entire states, show particular interest in meeting President Ilham Aliyev. This reflects growing trust in both Azerbaijan and its leader.”

In conclusion, Khayal Bashirov said that Azerbaijan’s emergence not only as a conflict resolver but also as a participant in peace initiatives in other regions marks a new stage.

“A few years ago, our main concern was the resolution of the Karabakh conflict and its political recognition. Today, Azerbaijan is already a state that puts forward peace initiatives in other regions or actively participates in them. Azerbaijan’s acceptance as a founding member of the Peace Council confirms this. The main risks related to the peace process in the South Caucasus have effectively been eliminated.”