A round table titled “South Caucasus: Challenges and Opportunities for Cooperation” was held at the initiative of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia.

The ambassadors of Turkey and Somalia to Serbia, the counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, a senior official of the Serbian Foreign Ministry, as well as international experts and political analysts, exchanged views on security and cooperation opportunities in the South Caucasus. It should be noted that the event was organized in commemoration of the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

A minute of silence was observed to honor the victims of the Khojaly genocide.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Serbia Kamil Khasiyev stated that the Khojaly genocide was part of the ethnic cleansing and occupation policy planned and implemented by the Armenian state. He noted that for many years the Karabakh conflict had been the major obstacle to peace and stability in the South Caucasus region.

The ambassador said that Azerbaijan advocates for the supremacy of international law and justice, as well as the development of cooperation and integration in the South Caucasus. In this sense, the peace agreement will open up new opportunities for the development of the entire region.

“Armenia should remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan from its constitution and take real steps,” K. Khasiyev added.

The diplomat also spoke about the restoration works carried out by Azerbaijan in Karabakh.

Touching upon the recent transformations in transatlantic cooperation, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR) Farid Shafiyev emphasized that these processes would also have certain influences on the South Caucasus region. At the same time, he stressed the negative impact of double standards on international politics.

"European nations have always had differing approaches towards the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, while the events in Ukraine have once again emphasized the importance of territorial integrity. The Second Karabakh War, which led to important geopolitical consequences, above all, proved the importance of universal principles of international law."

AIR Center’s Chairman also drew attention to the growing geopolitical role of the Organization of Turkic States.

Touching on the international recognition of the Khojaly genocide, Director of the Analysis and Strategic Studies Department Shahin Shahyarov stressed the importance of taking practical steps to prevent similar acts.

Speaking about the normalization process, Shahin Shahyarov stated that the territorial claims against our country in the Armenian Constitution are the major obstacles to peace . He also drew attention to the destructive influences of third parties.

“External actors should refrain from unilateral steps that would disrupt the process between the two countries. The international community should support the normalization process, not hinder it.  Azerbaijan is committed to turning the region into a platform for stability and cooperation and rejects geopolitical competition that creates tension in the region,” he added.

The event also discussed the prospects for cooperation between Serbia and Azerbaijan. Neven Cveticanin, President of Forum for Strategic Studies (FORST) and former member of the Serbian National Assembly, analyzed the opportunities for cooperation in the South Caucasus and beyond. Professor Violeta Rašković Talović, Dean of the Faculty of International Politics and Security at Nikola Tesla University, touched upon the prospects of bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Azerbaijan, stating that relations are at a high level and of high strategic importance.

The discussions continued with a question-and-answer session.