Favourable conditions have been created for ensuring lasting peace and development in the South Caucasian region. It is, however, utterly necessary to make absolute use of all the opportunities in the region during the post-war period. Firstly, it is due to the reason that the occupation policy of Armenia has turned the Karabakh region into a grey zone for almost 30 years. Regional resources were not used for their intended purposes, while illegal activities were observed. On the other hand, the particular conflict, already gone down in history, has been active during this period always casting doubt on the security matters. As a result, the fragile ceasefire, as well as the provocative behavior of Armenia, established a serious obstacle to building healthy and sustainable cooperation in our region.
Of course, it would be naive to expect investors to make large-scale investments without ensuring their security guarantees. In this sense, after the liberation of occupied territories by Azerbaijan, a favorable environment was created for investors in the region. Companies representing countries interested in the cooperation with Azerbaijan, the guarantor of Europe's energy security and the political and economic hub-locomotive of the region, have already announced their business and cooperation proposals. Azerbaijan has also stated that it will give a preference to companies from friendly countries in the recovery process. Because this is also a matter of national interests. President Ilham Aliyev has also stated from the start that Karabakh is a matter of pride and national interests for all Azerbaijanis. The Strategic Recovery Plan and the concept of revival prepared by the government of Azerbaijan envisage turning the Karabakh region into the most developed zone. Currently, the work is being carried out in the liberated territories in a comprehensive manner. The state has mobilized all its resources in this direction. Azerbaijan aims to create a new development zone in the region by properly assessing the existing opportunities for the socio-economic development of Karabakh. All the steps taken by official Baku after the 44-day Patriotic War are particularly directed for this aim. The adoption of the statement emphasizing the economic and regional cooperation between the states at the trilateral meeting in Moscow on January 11, 2021, also confirmed that the future of the region is about the implementation of perspective issues. It was once again reiterated that Azerbaijan supports long-term peace, cooperation, and the implementation of projects leading to economic development in the region. It is also true that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan again remained committed to his destructive position and showed an approach aimed at increasing tensions in the post-conflict period, rather than establishing healthy cooperation at the Moscow meeting. However, none of Pashinyan’s allegations was taken seriously. On the other hand, the policy pursued by official Baku is fully based on the priorities of the post-conflict period.
The launch of the Turkish-Russian Joint Monitoring Center near the liberated village of Marzili in Aghdam last week was another successful step towards the implementation of the 3 + 3 format proposed by President Ilham Aliyev. In general, the establishment of a joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Center, in accordance with article 5 of the statement of November 10, 2020, serves to increase the effectiveness of monitoring the implementation of the agreement by the parties to the conflict. This is an effective monitoring mechanism ensuring the prevention and investigation of possible incidents. Turkey's direct involvement in the process was made possible thanks to the political will of Azerbaijan. In his address to the nation on November 10, President Ilham Aliyev also stated that brotherly Turkey would officially play a decisive role in resolving the conflict and monitoring the ceasefire. The direct participation of brotherly Turkey in the process has already become official. The launch of a joint monitoring center, especially the serving of the Turkish military in the liberated areas, is the result of a new geopolitical reality in the region. Thus, it sets a novel foundation for the further development of opportunities and broader cooperation plans in the region.
Azerbaijan's effective proposals for cooperation in the post-war period also show that peace and cooperation in the region and the management of new realities created on this basis are significantly associated with the name of Azerbaijan. In general, Azerbaijan has always been the driving force of the region. The situation will also be the same during the post-war period. Being the political and economic locomotive, Azerbaijan will further continue to fulfill its mission of guaranteeing security, as the 44-day Patriotic War, along with restoring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, provided for lasting peace and security in the region.