Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, addressing the 11th Global Baku Forum today, said Azerbaijan is closer to peace with Armenia than ever before.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s military defeat of Armenian forces in 2020 and 2023 in Karabakh have forced Yerevan to seek peace with Baku.

Aliyev said when Azerbaijani forces attacked what remained of the Artsakh Republic last September, they destroyed arms and ammunition worth close to US$1 billion.

“Where did Armenia get all that money? Of course, it's clear that all the weapons they were using against us were given to them free of charge,” Aliyev said at the forum.

The 11th Global Baku Forum, themed “Fixing the Fractured World”, will feature global discussions on the outcomes of COP28, preparations for COP29, and talks on factors threatening the new world order, including security issues, prospects for ensuring peace, and building stability in a divided world.