“The Trump administration demonstrated a lot of dedication to our agenda of peace,” said Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, told The Washington Times newspaper.
“What needs to be appreciated is Trump’s immediate reciprocity and full engagement.”
Mr. Hajiyev sees continued restrictions as working against peace. “Both governments, Azerbaijan and Armenia, are making an uphill struggle of strengthening the peace,” he said. “But some in Congress are introducing completely unnecessary and divisive legislative acts.”
“With the Biden and Blinken administration, unfortunately, we had a lot of misunderstanding, and they inflicted a lot of damage,” Mr. Hajiyev said.
According to him, Azerbaijan is fostering economic interdependence with Armenia by exporting oil products and facilitating grain shipments to Armenian markets.
“It may seem symbolic, but along with symbolism there’s really important geopolitical connotations,” Mr. Hajiyev said. “We are making peace not only with the government of Armenia, but with the people of Armenia.”
Hajiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan’s model of religious pluralism positions the country as a natural partner for Western engagement in a volatile region.
“We have Jewish communities, Christian communities living side by side with Muslim communities for centuries,” he said. “This is our tradition, this is our identity. We have stronger determination for our agenda of peace, and we have the full support of the Trump administration.”
Ayten Abbasli
Special Correspondent
