Participation of President Ilham Aliyev in a plenary session within the framework of the Munich Security Conference

On February 18, a plenary session on the topic “Moving Mountains? Building Security in the South Caucasus” was held within the framework of the Munich Security Conference. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event.

President Ilham Aliyev, calling this meeting which brought together the leaders of all three countries of the South Caucasus a historic event, responded to moderator Christoph Heusgen’s questions about the former Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and regional security, saying: “In communication with our American and European Union partners, as well as during today’s trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan which was organized by Secretary Blinken, it became clear to me that we all understand the necessity of a two-pronged approach to the situation in the region. Firstly, the direction of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and secondly, Azerbaijan’s relations with the Armenian population in Karabakh.”

Stating that the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” is no longer valid in Azerbaijan, and only the Karabakh region, inhabited by Armenian population exists, President Ilham Aliyev noted: “This two-pronged solution essentially separates our negotiations with Armenia from our internal matters, such as our relations with the Armenians in Karabakh.” President Ilham Aliyev also noted that, as agreed with international partners, discussions regarding the rights and security of the Armenian minority in Karabakh will be conducted with representatives of the Armenian community who were born in Karabakh and have lived there all their lives, rather than with individuals exported from Russia to take a leading position in Karabakh.