In a current interview with France 24, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has already been achieved. “For Azerbaijan, the conflict is over,” he acknowledged, emphasizing financial cooperation and regional connectivity as proof that stability has arrived. He added that “we need peace in the region” and that Azerbaijan seeks “normal relations with all neighbors.”
These statements supply a hopeful imaginative and prescient. However as a religion chief, an advocate for worldwide non secular freedom, and CEO of Save Armenia, I imagine peace should be measured not by declarations however by actuality. True peace is grounded in justice, mutual dignity, and the safety of elementary rights. It can’t be sustained if core points stay unresolved or if one aspect’s narrative defines the method.
I help diplomatic engagement and normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of sustainable peace is each vital and achievable. But I’m deeply involved that the present rhetoric dangers making a false sense of closure whereas leaving an important questions unanswered. The worldwide group, and particularly the US, should stay centered on whether or not the circumstances for lasting stability really exist.
Armenia is the world’s first Christian nation, adopting Christianity as a state faith within the early fourth century. For greater than seventeen centuries, Armenian id has been inseparable from religion. Its church buildings, monasteries, and sacred traditions are usually not solely nationwide treasures however a part of the shared heritage of worldwide Christianity. This civilizational and non secular actuality is basically absent from present diplomatic messaging, but it’s central to understanding each the trauma and the resilience of the Armenian individuals.
One of the crucial pressing issues is the continued detention of Armenian prisoners. Regardless of diplomatic progress, Azerbaijan continues to carry a number of former Nagorno-Karabakh officers and different detainees. In February 2026, Azerbaijani authorities sentenced former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan to a prolonged jail time period on terrorism-related prices. Worldwide observers and Armenian advocates have raised severe issues about due course of and political motivation. These detentions undermine belief and lift profound questions on whether or not reconciliation or leverage is guiding the method.
Lasting peace can’t coexist with political prisoners. From a spiritual freedom perspective, this situation extends past politics. Lots of these detained characterize a group that has endured displacement, persecution, and the lack of its historic homeland. Their continued imprisonment indicators that energy, somewhat than justice, could also be shaping the long run.
The humanitarian penalties of the 2023 disaster additionally stay unresolved. Following Azerbaijan’s army operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, greater than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled the area, in response to the United Nations. This exodus successfully ended centuries-old Armenian Christian communities within the territory. In my work participating Armenian households and religion leaders, I’ve heard firsthand the tales of loss, trauma, and uncertainty. These are usually not summary geopolitical developments. They’re human tragedies that proceed to form the area.
Church buildings and monasteries are usually not merely historic landmarks. They’re residing expressions of religion, id, and continuity for a individuals whose non secular heritage spans centuries. The preservation of those sacred areas is a transparent check of whether or not peace will genuinely embrace respect for non secular freedom and cultural heritage. But this raises an necessary query. If defending non secular and cultural websites is a worldwide precedence, why has UNESCO not taken a extra seen and proactive position in guaranteeing credible monitoring and accountability?
Whereas statements have been made, clear and sustained mechanisms stay restricted. Within the absence of official entry, organizations resembling Caucasus Heritage Watch, affiliated with Cornell College, have used satellite tv for pc imagery to determine important alterations and harm to a number of websites, highlighting the pressing want for unbiased monitoring and worldwide accountability.
Throughout his France 24 interview, President Aliyev framed Azerbaijan as the first driver of peace and stability. Nevertheless, real reconciliation requires greater than unilateral narratives. It requires humility, mutual recognition, and preparation of societies for coexistence somewhat than triumph. Peace that’s perceived as imposed or one-sided is not going to endure.
Important structural points additionally stay unresolved. Border demarcation, transportation corridors, and long-term safety ensures stay beneath negotiation. These are usually not technical issues. They’re foundational to belief and stability. Untimely declarations of success danger weakening diplomatic leverage and overlooking warning indicators that historical past has proven can result in renewed battle.
In my position main Save Armenia, I’m dedicated to participating policymakers, religion leaders, and worldwide companions to make sure that any peace course of shouldn’t be solely strategic however ethical. America has performed an necessary position in facilitating dialogue. That management should now concentrate on measurable outcomes.
First, the US ought to prioritize the discharge of detainees and clear authorized processes. Sustained diplomatic engagement, together with using focused instruments when vital, can reinforce the significance of justice and accountability.
Second, non secular freedom and minority protections should be embedded in any peace framework. This aligns with longstanding U.S. commitments and the work of the U.S. Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom and the State Division’s Workplace of Worldwide Spiritual Freedom. Sturdy stability is carefully tied to the safety of conscience and perception.
Third, the worldwide group ought to help unbiased monitoring of cultural and non secular heritage within the area. Cooperation with UNESCO and different establishments can construct transparency and confidence.
Fourth, Congress ought to proceed bipartisan engagement by means of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and worldwide non secular freedom coalitions to make sure sustained oversight and strategic focus.
Lastly, long-term peace requires sustained funding in civil society and people-to-people engagement that strengthens Armenia’s historic Christian id and resilience because the world’s first Christian nation. Agreements between governments are solely the start. Belief should be rebuilt by means of renewed confidence, cultural continuity, and the preservation of religion and heritage which have sustained the Armenian individuals for hundreds of years.
President Aliyev’s interview affords perception into how Azerbaijan seeks to border the present second. However the world should look past rhetoric and stay attentive to the deeper realities shaping the area.
I imagine that true peace within the South Caucasus should be rooted in justice, dignity, and the safety of religion and id. Peace that ignores the struggling and fears of susceptible communities is not going to endure. Peace grounded in non secular freedom, human dignity, and mutual respect, nonetheless, can create the muse for reconciliation and long-term stability.
The stakes are usually not solely regional. They’re ethical and international. And justice, whether it is to be actual, requires vigilance.
Dr. Paul Murray is CEO of Save Armenia and a Christian chief engaged in international non secular freedom and coverage advocacy.
“Well bless their hearts.”
