Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed his country’s alliance with Russia in the extended interview that he gave to Rossiya Segodnya chief Dmitry Kiselyov earlier this week that can be read in full here. It’s extremely detailed so the present piece will summarize the insight that he shared for convenience. Aliyev began by praising the Declaration on Allied Interaction between Azerbaijan and Russia that he agreed to with Putin on 22 February 2022 as an historic event in their relations.
He appreciated Putin’s state visit over the summer and noted how their trade is rising, Russian visits to Azerbaijan have been restored to their pre-COVID levels, and there are now twice as many flights as during the Soviet era. Aliyev hopes that there won’t be a hot war between NATO and Russia, which would be apocalyptic, and expressed optimism that Trump will make positive changes to US foreign policy. Azerbaijan can also help facilitate a détente between Russia and the US if both are interested.
Aliyev reminded Kiselyov about how Azerbaijan is independent of East and West, has the unique status of being allied with both Russia and NATO-member Turkiye, and previously hosted meetings between top Russian, US, and NATO military officials, which wasn’t by chance since it’s equally trusted by them. In response to being asked about reports that Azerbaijan will host a Turkish base, he said that such isn’t needed since their 2021 Declaration on Allied Relations already includes a mutual defense clause.
Azerbaijan plans to buy new Russian arms, but there haven’t been any new contracts lately since Russia’s military-industrial complex is prioritizing domestic demand. The deadline for implementing prior contracts was also pushed back at Russia’s request, which he said has temporarily withdrawn from the international arms market for obvious reasons, but he expects Azerbaijan to make new requests for some of the new arms that Russia has developed. That’ll lead to the resumption of military cooperation.
On the topic of military interests, Aliyev said that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent claim about his country’s relations with the CSTO having reached the point of no return is a direct threat to Azerbaijan, the concerns of which he conveyed to the US and France. The US changed its balanced approach to the region under the Biden Administration to one of unilaterally supporting Armenia. Aliyev also described the State Department as Armenia’s patron and Soros’ people in DC as its sponsors.
France, India, and the US are sending lethal arms to Armenia, but only the first two admit it, though Azerbaijan tracked American military transport planes and thus has evidence of these transfers. Aliyev would prefer to spend his state’s funds on reconstructing Karabakh and on social payments but is compelled to have a record $5 billion military budget this year due to these newfound threats. He warned that Armenia cannot possibly win the arms race that it’s provoking in the region.
This is in spite of Armenia receiving its latest equipment either for free or with loans that can later be written off. The US and France won’t help it if there’s another ground provocation, which is why Armenia would do well to agree to a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. About that, Aliyev said that Armenia’s discussions about peace and its simultaneous arming by the West are incompatible courses. It also needs to agree to two outstanding issues with Azerbaijan in order for a peace treaty to be signed.
These are refraining from filing international lawsuits against one another and not deploying representatives from other countries along their mutual border. NATO infrastructure has clandestinely been created in Armenia under the cover of EU observers, according to Aliyev, with the EU mission seamlessly turning into a NATO one through Canada’s involvement. Armenia must also amend its constitution to remove the reference to its Declaration of Independence that makes claims to Azerbaijan.
The OSCE Minsk Group must be abolished too since it’s no longer necessary. The fact that Armenia refuses to comply with any of Azerbaijan’s preceding requirements for peace suggests that the revanchists’ plans are quite serious in Aliyev’s words and justifies his country’s record military spending. Moving along, Aliyev then answered Kiselyov’s question about Karabakh’s remaining Armenian community, which he said numbers just approximately 20 people.
They were all informed ahead of September 2023’s one-day anti-terrorist operation of the state’s plans to reintegrate them into its fold, which included granting them equal rights and social assistance, yet their self-appointed public representatives ignored this. The innuendo is that more might have stayed had they not been misled by others into fearing for the worst and distrusting the authorities. Aliyev then brought up how Armenia deported around 300,000 Azeris in the 1980s and 1990s.
This involuntary diaspora community has officially applied to the Armenian leadership requesting conditions for their return and reintegration but have yet to receive a response. Aliyev suggested that each side’s associated policies follow a parallel course and expressed regret that Armenia isn’t interested in reciprocating the policies that Azerbaijan has promulgated for that country’s community. In any case, Karabakh’s reconstruction continues apace, and Russian companies are also participating in this.
The Governor of Astrakhan Region is involved in the construction of a kindergarten there, while other Russian companies already supply goods and services for other reconstruction projects. Aliyev hopes that more will get involved since their infrastructure expertise in building roads, tunnels, and bridges is much-needed in Karabakh. There are also investment opportunities there too as proven by Tatarstan building a KAMAZ service center in the region.
Switching gears, Kiselyov then asked Aliyev about Azerbaijan’s energy strategy, to which the latter responded by highlighting its enormous fossil fuel deposits but also emphasizing its recent investments in wind and solar energy. It won’t rule out nuclear power plants, which Russia could help Azerbaijan construct, but still needs to look into it some more. Aliyev also passionately denied that his country is a petro-state after being smeared as such by the Western media ahead of hosting COP29 last month.
The US produces almost a billion tons of oil compared to Azerbaijan’s 30 million, yet nobody describes it as such. Canada also produces ten times as much Azerbaijan does, which is why it was hypocritical for its representatives to smear Azerbaijan as a petro-state. These attacks and others come from what Aliyev described as the “lying four”: the Washington Post, the New York Times, Figaro, and Le Monde. Their daily smear campaign against Azerbaijan is also aided by the State Department and allied NGOs.
The inclusion of two French outlets on this list isn’t coincidental since Macron has prioritized attacks against Azerbaijan all throughout his presidency, thus prompting Azerbaijan to retaliate by drawing global attention to French neocolonialism. Their two nations used to be so close that Aliyev’s father’s first foreign trip was to France as was his own after entering office, but that’s all in the past now after France sided with the occupiers during the Second Karabakh War.
France even went as far as trying to get the UNSC to pass five resolutions against Azerbaijan, and after failing, it then turned to the EU to sanction Azerbaijan simply for protecting its sovereignty. This unprovoked aggression against Azerbaijan distracts from France’s merciless exploitation of its colonies’ resources as well as the rampant poverty and political unrest in these imperial-era holdovers like New Caledonia and Mayotte among others.
Aliyev accordingly described Macron’s government as a dictatorship and regime due to France’s terrible treatment of its colonies. He also mentioned how the Corsican language is banned, thus discrediting France’s claims of supporting human rights and democracy in the South Caucasus when it won’t even do so inside of Europe itself. On the foreign policy front, Aliyev mentioned that Macron is turning France into a failed state after its spree of failed policies in the Sahel, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
The French leader also suffered a devastating defeat during summer’s EU Parliamentary elections and Moody’s continues downgrading his country month after month due to its enormous external debt. Aliyev’s reference to Georgia segued into some comments about that country’s political crisis, which he said is due to foreign NGOs, adding that the Biden Administration’s obtrusiveness is also to blame. Unlike Azerbaijan, Georgia waited too long to address these problems, and it’s now paying the price.
What’s happening there right now is part of what Aliyev described as a “Battle for the Caucasus”. In his view, Armenia has already chosen its side, but hasn’t de jure withdrawn from the CSTO because the State Department won’t yet give the go-ahead. Azerbaijan is fully independent and neutral, while Georgia’s geopolitical fate is presently being determined. Reading between the lines, Aliyev clearly prefers for the West to be defeated in Georgia.
Wrapping everything up, the Azerbaijani leader confirmed that there have never been nor ever will be any restrictions on the Russian language in his country, and he in fact even wants to expand its use. There are already 320 schools teaching Russian, the most in the South Caucasus by far, and he hopes that more will soon open. Knowledge of Russian provides Azerbaijanis with a window into its science and literature, facilitates their communication within the CIS, and makes the Russian minority comfortable.
Aliyev also said that he’ll never allow Azerbaijan to become a nest of subversive emigrant activities aimed against Russia, something that Putin no doubt deeply appreciates. About Putin, Aliyev said that they and their people are brought together due to their commitment to national roots and traditional values, something that they also share with Trump. They all want to reverse socio-cultural trends that harm humanity and end this debauchery. These were optimistic words on which to end the interview.
Reflecting on everything that he shared, there’s no doubt that Aliyev is one of Eurasia’s most visionary leaders and Azerbaijan is playing an increasingly important role in the emerging Multipolar World Order. He’s mastered the art of geopolitical balancing and remains committed to his people’s comprehensive development, especially in the economic and socio-cultural domains. Many leaders across the Global South can learn from him and he’s more than willing to help those who are interested.
