Charles Michel reflects on Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process - INTERVIEW

In an interview with Report, former European Council President Charles Michel shared his memories of organizing meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia and his views on the peace process following the Washington accords:

– During your tenure as President of the European Council, you were actively involved in restoring Azerbaijan-Armenia relations and organized meetings between the leaders. Back then, did you expect today's outcomes? How do you evaluate the achievements of the August 8 Washington deal?

– It was necessary to restart the political dialogue and establish the foundations for improving relations and continuing the peace process. At that time (during my presidency of the European Council), I had not fully assessed the upcoming challenges and problems for many clear reasons.

However, since then, I was confident that relations would develop positively. I sensed that both sides shared the understanding that peace is always the right approach.

In the long term, peace is the strongest guarantee of security and creates conditions for more economic projects to develop in the region. Therefore, I am very pleased to witness significant progress today.

I believe the initiative known as the Brussels Process was an optimistic and constructive tool, helping both countries' leaders identify possible steps and decisions to get closer to each other. I would like to emphasize again that the upcoming weeks and months will be extremely important for consolidating these achievements and ensuring their sustainability.

– What challenges did you face while organizing meetings with the leaders during your term as President of the European Council?

– You see, in any conflict or disagreement, regardless of the cause, there is initially a lack of trust between the parties. When there is no trust, it becomes difficult to identify concrete steps that can lead to progress. From the very beginning of my mediation work, I understood that it was essential to help rebuild at least a minimal base of trust and confidence. This was not easy and sometimes extremely challenging. At the same time, demonstrating determination was also very important. I believe that the decisions taken today by both sides are very courageous steps, sincerely aimed at progress and strengthening the peace approach.

– Azerbaijan has already lifted all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia. For example, grain from Kazakhstan is now transiting to Armenia via Azerbaijan. How do you assess this development?

– This is a very important step, as just a few months or years ago, such a situation would have been hard to imagine. But today, this decision has already been implemented – it is a real and concrete fact. I understand that there are still certain challenges and sensitive issues, and we must be aware of them. However, the adoption of such decisions, in my view, is an encouraging signal. My hope is that in the coming months, both sides will make further efforts in this direction, making the path of peace irreversible.