On December 24, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated during a meeting with residents relocating to the city of Aghdam that Azerbaijan had initiated the peace process with Armenia and was the author of the proposed peace treaty. Aliyev emphasized that "it is true that a peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is currently underway," adding that Azerbaijan had been the first to propose it and remained the author of both the treaty and its provisions.

He stressed that despite the ongoing negotiations, the legacy of the conflict could not be erased, stating, "How can we ever forget the occupation? How can we ever forget our martyrs? How can we ever forget the Khojaly victims and the deaths of other innocent people?" He underlined that such memories "can never" and "should never" be forgotten.

During the same meeting, Aliyev drew attention to global practices in response to wars and conflicts, noting that international organizations and major powers often resort to sanctions as an immediate measure. He stated that sanctions generally have a significant impact and are commonly used in other parts of the world facing instability. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan further emphasized that had sanctions been imposed on Armenia—described by him as a small and largely poor country—the occupation would have ended much earlier. He noted that instead of sanctions, some countries had supplied Armenia with weapons, stressing that this assistance amounted not to "a million dollars," but to "billions of dollars," which, he stated, prolonged the occupation.