After the Republic of Azerbaijan restored its independence, it gained a historic opportunity to develop and strengthen its statehood. In such a context, forming and implementing a new foreign policy course by the principles of national statehood became a crucial task. The main priority was to convey to the international community the facts of military occupation, ethnic cleansing, the gross violation of the rights of nearly one million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons, and the destruction of our historical and cultural heritage by Armenians in a significant part of the country. However, the information blockade against our independent state had created serious challenges for Azerbaijan in conveying its rightful voice to the international community. Only after the return of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev to political power, we managed to break the information blockade, take confident steps towards integration into the international arena, and represent the true nature of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the global public. A significant milestone in this extensive and challenging process was reached during the Lisbon Summit held on December 2-3, 1996, attended by the heads of state and government of OSCE member countries. This summit is considered the foundational formula for resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Before the Lisbon summit, a decision regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was made in 1994 with the participation of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The summit of the CSCE (which transformed into the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on January 1, 1995) took place in Budapest from December 4 to 6, 1994. This event marked the fourth summit of the member states and the first attended by Heydar Aliyev. During the meeting, a decision was made to intensify the organization’s activities concerning the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The heads of state of CSCE member countries identified the phased nature of resolving the issue and tasked the co-chairs of the Minsk Conference with preparing an agreement for the cessation of armed conflict. This agreement was to reflect the elimination of the main consequences of the conflict for all parties involved and serve as a basis for convening the Minsk Conference. Significant decisions regarding the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were made at the Budapest summit. One of these decisions concerned the establishment of multinational forces by CSCE to ensure peace in the conflict zone and their deployment in the disputed areas.

The summit held in Lisbon, Portugal, on December 2-3, 1996, is significant in Azerbaijan's relations with the OSCE. The OSCE Summit of Heads of State and Government, attended by leaders of European countries, the USA, Canada, and Asian-African nations in an observer capacity, has remained a historic event in the memory of our people. The Caucasus region, particularly the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was extensively discussed at a high level for the first time during the Lisbon Summit, making it more significant for Azerbaijan than the Budapest Summit.

Three important documents were to be adopted at the summit: the declaration of the Lisbon summit of OSCE member states, a declaration on a common and comprehensive security model for Europe for the twenty-first century, and a document outlining the parameters and scope of the process for limiting conventional armed forces in Europe. However, one of the provisions reflected in the declaration of the Summit - Article 20, which contains the principles for resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - was met with objections from the Armenian side. Armenia vetoed that article. Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev strongly opposed the removal of the article from the declaration, stating that he would veto all summit documents. The negotiations could not persuade the Azerbaijani President to change his position, and our country exercised its right not to consent, vetoing all summit documents. This meant that the Lisbon summit could end without any results. Article 20 indicated the possibility of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on three principles: the inviolability of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia, the granting of autonomy and self-rule status to Nagorno-Karabakh based on the right to self-determination within the Republic of Azerbaijan, and ensuring the security of the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh. These principles were accepted as a formula for resolving the conflict during a meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group held in Helsinki in November 1996, and a nearly identical proposal had been put forward by the then OSCE Chairman Flavio Cotti in February of the same year.

Despite all obstacles and challenges, the President of Azerbaijan remained committed to his principles until the end, and he substantiated his position with sufficiently strong arguments during meetings with various heads of state. After lengthy and intense discussions, a consensus was reached to enshrine all the principles in Article 20 in a special statement by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. The statement read: "Three principles which should form part of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were recommended by the Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group. These principles are supported by all member States of the Minsk Group. They are: - territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic; - legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh defined in an agreement based on self-determination which confers on Nagorno-Karabakh the highest degree of self-rule within Azerbaijan; - guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and its whole population, including mutual obligations to ensure compliance by all the Parties with the provisions of the settlement." This was a significant diplomatic achievement for our country. Firstly, Azerbaijan successfully drew the world's attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was crucial. This was important because global perspectives on the issue were not based on objective information. During the Lisbon summit, Azerbaijan managed to change the results of the long-standing propaganda campaign waged by Armenia and the Armenian lobby within just one day. Furthermore, Armenia once again demonstrated its policy of aggression and its disregard for the universally accepted principles of international law. All OSCE members, except for Armenia, confirmed that the conflict can only be resolved under the conditions of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, the retention of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and the ensuring of security for all inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh (including the Azerbaijanis living in the area). Armenia faced significant pressure from the international community for the first time during this summit, leading to its isolation.  

During the Lisbon Summit, a legal framework recognized by the international community that safeguards Azerbaijan's national interests was established for the next phase of the negotiation process regarding resolving the conflict.

Recommended literature:

1. Lissabon sammiti 96 /Buraxılışa məsul və ön söz: R.Mehdiyev; Tərt.ed.: Ə.Həsənov, Ş.Şahməmmədov. - Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1997. - 312 s.
2. Azərbaycan Respublikasının tarixi : 1991-2003 / AMEA A.A. Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu ; layihənin rəh., elmi red. Y. M. Mahmudov, red. heyəti: A. A. Əlizadə [et al.]. I cild : Heydər Əliyev dövrü. - Bakı : Azərbaycan Tarixçiləri İctimai Birliyi, 2016. - 704 s.
3. Qasımlı, Musa Cəfər oğlu. Azərbaycan Respublikasının tarixi : 1991-2021: 2 cilddə / M. C. Qasımlı ; elmi red. İ. X. Zeynalov ; Bakı Dövlət Universiteti. - ISBN 978-9952-546-20-0. I cild : 1991-2003. - Bakı : BDU nəşriyyatı, 2021. - 384 s.
4. Əliyev, Etibar Əli oğlu. Beynəlxalq hüquq : anlayışı, hüquq doktrinası və tədris kursu / E. Ə. Əliyev ; elmi red. Ə. İ. Əliyev ; ön sözün müəl. R. F. Məmmədov ; AMEA Hüquq və İnsan Haqları İnstitutu, Bakı Dövlət Universiteti. - Bakı : Günəş-B, 2016. - 100 s.