When the heads of state and government of Asia gathered in Baku on October 15 for the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the setting itself carried a message. Azerbaijan, a nation which a few years ago was still fighting to reclaim a fifth of its internationally recognised land, was the focal point of a continent-wide security and trust discussion. As host and Chair of the event, President Ilham Aliyev did not waste an opportunity.
He kicked off the summit with positive news for the future of the organisation: the Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s accession as a new member state of the CICA. President Aliyev called the move a “key step” to a more inclusive CICA and broader dialogue and cooperation between Asia. It was an appropriate beginning, as respect for sovereignty, fairness and inclusiveness became the themes of his entire speech.
The rest of the evening was no ordinary diplomatic reception. It was a thoughtful, honest and assertive statement of principle, based on Azerbaijan’s own experience that it was ready to share with Asia as a template for the international order.
A Bridge Across Eurasia, Guided by Independence
President Ilham Aliyev first expressed his gratitude to all the CICA Member States for their unanimous consensus on Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship which started from 2024. He considered the unity as a respect and trust, and a endorsement of Azerbaijan’s growing experience of chairing international forums. In such a short time period, few countries of Azerbaijan size have both hosted and led such a number of important multilateral platforms.
He then explained the geographical and strategic basis for that trust. Located at the heart of Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan is becoming more and more a bridgehead between the two continents. Its political, economic, transport, energy and humanitarian bilateral and multilateral cooperation goes beyond national interests. They help to reinforce the security environment of the broader region, in the President’s terms, “actively”.
The essence of this is an independent foreign policy. President Aliyev reiterated them clearly: sovereign equality of states, non-interference in internal affairs and territorial integrity and sovereignty. These are, indeed, the very principles that were the basis of CICA’s establishment. He put Azerbaijan at the center of CICA’s diplomatic game, rather than seeing itself as a guest of the CICA process, but as one of its most dedicated practitioners.
Calling Out Double Standards
President Aliyev’s attack on being selective and double standards was the strongest element of the speech. He said Azerbaijan has been subjected to such treatment ever since it regained its independence in 1991. He had no “fresh evidence” to present.
For 30 years, approximately 20% of the internationally recognised areas of Azerbaijan was in the occupation of Armenia. The President estimates that approximately 1 million Azerbaijanis were deported from their homeland in the territory of present-day Armenia, including Garabagh, East Zangezur. UN Security Council in 1993 passed four resolutions for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces. Those resolutions, he said, “sat on the shelf for 30 years.
He was as forthright in discussing the mediation that was to halt the strife. He said the OSCE Minsk Group, which was established in 1992, was paralysed by co-chairs who dominated the situation and preferred to stifle it rather than solve it. He also noted “provocative” remarks by the Armenian authorities in 2019 and the “silence” or “enmity” of organisations like the European Parliament and Council of Europe towards Baku.
This section is important because of its general conclusion. President Aliyev said that as long as there was no mechanism to implement the UN Security Council’s and other international organisations’ decisions, wars and conflicts would continue and new ones would be formed. But impunity breeds an aggressor’s arrogance, he warned. It applies to a world where many resolutions are adopted and few are implemented, and it applies to the whole South Caucasus.
Restored Sovereignty to an Offer of Peace
President Aliyev told that on the Azerbaijani side it was with great patience that they waited to see how the Armenians would react to the Azerbaijani military provocation in July and August 2020, which resulted in the deaths of Azerbaijanis. Throughout the course of the Patriotic War, which lasted for 44 days, Armenia liberated over 300 cities and villages while on 10 November 2020 the country signed the act of capitulation.
Azerbaijan aimed to restore its sovereignty in a peaceful manner during the next three years, he said. In September 2023, Azerbaijan acted when that respite was utilized for reorganisation of its forces. Within 24 hours there was an end to separatism in Garabagh and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country was completely restored. The leaders of separatist forces charged with war crimes were brought before Azerbaijanian courts, which the President compared to the Nuremberg Tribunal. He also invited summit guests to visit the Victory Park, the Victory Museum and the Military Trophy Park to get an idea of the magnitude of that victory.
But the central theme of this section of the speech was moderation. Azerbaijan did not seek revenge for 30 years of suffering because, said President Aliyev, “war was not our choice”. “It wasn’t like we went after an enemy already down, he said.
Azerbaijan has granted peace: the two countries today have lived in peace for a little more than a year. He admitted that this peace is still delicate and must be safeguarded and consolidated, giving a sign of maturity in the leader who realises that a war has won, but a lasting peace remains to be won.
A Stronger, Broader CICA
As for the organisation itself, President Aliyev offered a transparent accounting. During the Chairmanship period of more than two years, Azerbaijan put the emphasis on intensifying CICA activities and promoting cooperation in other areas such as transport, connectivity, digitalisation, environment, tourism, education, science and others. This action plan is built upon Azerbaijan’s own competencies and capabilities as a hub for connectivity between East and West.
The results were obtained with the unanimous backing of all the Member States, he said. There is an enhanced institutional and legal strength of CICA today, its membership has increased and the capacity of CICA to promote dialogue, security, economic growth and mutual understanding has significantly grown. The very same summit, however, marked the admission of Laos, which was a living example of that expansion.
The members’ own comments perhaps were the most telling. President Aliyev expressed his gratitude to them for their backing for Azerbaijan’s CICA Chairmanship for two more years. In the world of multilateral diplomacy, where consensus is difficult to guarantee, a new mandate is the best endorsement possible of a Chair’s leadership.
Why the Baku Address Matters
President Ilham Aliyev’s speech at the 7th CICA Summit was a two-pronged effort. As Chair, he presented a confident report of an organisation that is bigger, stronger and more active than when it started to be chaired by Azerbaijan. As a statesman he put himself in Azerbaijan’s shoes to ask the question that every Asian capital needs to ask itself: what is the value of international law if it cannot be enforced?
His answer combined firmness with magnanimity. Azeri sovereignty was restored, and they chose not to take revenge but to offer peace, a peace hand which must be guarded carefully. This combination of principle and pragmatism is precisely what is required of a forum that strives to build confidence such as CICA.
Azerbaijan has gained the trust of its partners with Laos being a new addition to the family and two more years of Chairmanship still to come. Asia will be the safer, more united for it if CICA can follow the tradition of this speech, insisting on equal rules for all and an emphasis on dialogue.
President “The Gulf Observer Research Forum” and the Editor-In-Chief, https://thegulfobserver.com
