Chingiz Farzaliyev speaks on “Dialogue with Tofiq Abbasov”
A new episode of the analytical video series “Dialogue with Tofiq Abbasov” has aired on the Baku Network platform, featuring Chingiz Farzaliyev—professor, acclaimed cultural figure, and Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan. In a wide-ranging, impassioned conversation, Farzaliyev offered deep reflections on the fate of the Caucasus, the unifying power of culture, and Azerbaijan’s strategic role in the emerging global order.
“The Last Page of Conflict—But Not Yet Peace”
Farzaliyev opened the discussion with a philosophical look at the region’s long and turbulent journey:
“We’ve nearly turned the page on military confrontation, but one crucial step still stands between us and lasting peace. There's still distance between us. Is that normal? Of course not. But these are the circumstances we've been dealt.”
He emphasized the extraordinary arc his generation has lived through—from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the resurgence of war and displacement:
“We witnessed things no one could have imagined—an entire system and its ruling party falling apart. And then came war, knocking on our doors once again.”
“We Were Neighbors. Then Someone Decided We Shouldn’t Be”
The conversation turned especially poignant when Farzaliyev recalled the decades before the conflict—years when Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in peace:
“Baku was home to countless Armenians. They were our neighbors, our classmates, our friends. We celebrated weddings and birthdays together. Everything was normal. And then, in a single moment, someone decided to drive a wedge between us.”
The full interview offers a rare blend of cultural insight and geopolitical perspective, told with the weight of lived experience. It's a reminder that while the road to peace is long, voices like Farzaliyev’s illuminate the way forward.
