In the complex diplomatic landscape of the South Caucasus, certain figures play a central role in the attempt to transform a long-standing conflict into a durable peace. Among them is Elchin Amirbayov, the Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Special Assignments, who has emerged as one of the key faces of Baku’s diplomatic strategy in the current phase of negotiations with Armenia.
An experienced diplomat and a keen observer of European political circles, Amirbayov occupies a distinctive position within Azerbaijan’s diplomatic apparatus. Unlike a traditional ambassador, his role as a special representative carries a broader and more strategic mission: explaining Azerbaijan’s political vision, defending Baku’s positions on sensitive issues, and contributing to international discussions aimed at bringing lasting stability to the South Caucasus. Before assuming his current responsibilities, he represented his country in several European capitals and within international institutions, gradually building a strong network within Western diplomatic and political circles.
This trajectory explains why he is today one of the diplomats most actively involved in conveying Azerbaijan’s official position on the peace process with Armenia. His role consists not only in participating in diplomatic discussions but also in convincing international partners that the time has come to transform the geopolitical balance of the region into a sustainable peace.
It is in this context that he recently gave an interview to the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung, in which he addressed one of the central issues in the current negotiations. According to Amirbayov, for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan to become truly durable and irreversible, Armenia’s constitution must be aligned with the peace agreement negotiated between the two countries.
In the interview, Amirbayov argues that certain provisions of the Armenian constitution still contain references that could be interpreted as territorial claims against Azerbaijan. From Baku’s perspective, this situation represents a significant political and legal obstacle, as it could allow a future Armenian government to challenge or undermine a peace treaty signed today. For this reason, Azerbaijan’s diplomacy believes that constitutional clarification is necessary in order to remove any ambiguity regarding the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.
The argument advanced by Amirbayov follows an institutional logic: a peace treaty should not only be signed by a government but must also be compatible with the fundamental legal framework of the state itself. If a constitution contains provisions that contradict an international agreement, that agreement could eventually be weakened or challenged. From Baku’s point of view, the modification of certain constitutional references in Armenia therefore appears as a guarantee designed to make peace sustainable and irreversible.
These statements come within a regional context that has been profoundly transformed by recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. For more than three decades, this territory stood at the center of a complex conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a legacy of the collapse of the Soviet Union. After several wars and a long period of tensions, Azerbaijan regained full control of the region in 2023, bringing an end to a situation that had deeply affected the stability of the South Caucasus.
This development has opened a new diplomatic phase in which the two countries are now discussing the full normalization of their relations. The ongoing negotiations address several fundamental issues: mutual recognition of territorial integrity, border delimitation and demarcation, the establishment of normal diplomatic relations, and the reopening of regional transport routes intended to reconnect different parts of the South Caucasus.
The peace process is closely followed by numerous international actors. The European Union, Russia, Turkey and the United States are all carefully observing the evolution of the situation, aware that stability in the South Caucasus represents an important strategic interest for regional and international balances.
Within this complex geopolitical environment, the public interventions of Elchin Amirbayov illustrate Azerbaijan’s current diplomatic strategy. After restoring its territorial control, Baku now seeks to consolidate this reality at the political and legal levels by securing a peace treaty that would definitively end the conflict.
For the Azerbaijani authorities, the objective is not only to close the chapter of the Karabakh conflict but also to build a new regional architecture based on mutual recognition of borders and economic cooperation. In this perspective, the constitutional question raised by Amirbayov appears as one of the final sensitive issues in the diplomatic process.
If negotiations succeed, the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan could mark a major transformation in the political balance of the South Caucasus. After more than three decades of rivalry and tensions, a durable peace would open the way to a new phase of regional stability and increased economic cooperation between the countries of the region. In this process, the diplomatic initiatives led by figures such as Elchin Amirbayov reflect the determination to transform a long conflict into a new dynamic of peace.
