Baku, September 22, 2025
Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov told Daily Europe Online that recent contacts between Baku and Yerevan – including Armenian security officials attending a conference in Baku and Azerbaijani analyst Murad Muradov’s upcoming appearance in Yerevan – signal that normalization is moving forward.
“Even at the height of the conflict, our representatives met at international events. But today, when both sides are actively moving toward peace, these steps carry far greater weight. The atmosphere begins to change from such small moves,” Musabekov said.
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Symbolic gestures gaining traction
Musabekov pointed to a striking example: at a song contest in Kazakhstan, Armenian and Azerbaijani jury members awarded each other the highest possible score. “That kind of symbolic act matters,” he argued, “because it helps reshape public attitudes.”
The decisive role of the state
The MP stressed that governments remain the main actors in shaping peace:
“Propaganda alone doesn’t work if there are armed incidents on the ground. States change reality. When they back a peace agenda with real action, diplomacy and media messaging gain credibility.”
According to Musabekov, this is why support for President Ilham Aliyev has remained high – above 70 percent – after the return of Karabakh and the consolidation of Azerbaijan’s international standing.
Armenia’s constitutional reset
Commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s plan to push constitutional reforms ahead of 2026 elections, Musabekov said even opposition forces will not be able to overturn the new realities.
“They can delay or haggle, but they cannot change the facts. A peace treaty and open routes will eventually become a reality.”
Zangezur corridor as part of Eurasia’s trade map
He noted that the long-discussed Zangezur corridor will anchor the “Middle Corridor” that links Asia and Europe.
“The sooner this route opens, the more resilient regional trade will become. The closure of the Belarus-Poland border already showed how fragile old supply chains are. This corridor benefits not just Azerbaijan, but also European consumers and Asian producers.”
On Israel, Palestine, and humanitarian peril
Turning to the Middle East, Musabekov said Azerbaijan has managed to maintain working relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but the Palestinian statehood issue remains unsolved.
“You can recognize a state that doesn’t exist, but the underlying problems don’t disappear. The urgent danger is humanitarian – Gaza is already devastated, and continued fighting risks mass death from hunger, disease, and lack of medicine.”
