Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty after Karabakh operation: Aliyev

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has said that his nation "restored its sovereignty" by waging an operation against Armenian separatists on its territory, and signalled a possible future peace treaty with Yerevan.

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Aliyev said: "Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh."

Azerbaijan harbours no hostility towards Armenian-origin residents of Karabakh and will provide them relief, he said. hours after Baku concluded anti-terror activities in the region.

"The Armenian population in Karabakh can now breathe easy. They are our citizens. We have no hostility towards the Armenian people. We held those at the top of the criminal regime accountable," Aliyev said in a televised address to the nation.

He also said the process of disarming and vacating illegal Armenian armed groups from their positions in Karabakh was in progress.

"All assigned tasks (in Karabakh) were accomplished within a single day.

"Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh," Aliyev added.

Also, President Aliyev acknowledged the "unexpected political competence" displayed by Armenia and its importance in the anti-terror activities' conclusion.

"Yesterday, today, Armenia, surprisingly, showed political competence, we value this," Aliyev said during his address, adding: "I want to hope that the steps that we are taking and the results of anti-terrorist measures will finally allow to remove obstacles to the peace talks".