Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are scheduled to meet in Dubai later this month as the two countries continue negotiations towards a peace agreement, Middle East Eye has learned.
The two leaders last met in May on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania, where they pledged to keep communication channels open.
Although Armenia and Azerbaijan reached consensus on a draft peace agreement in March, Baku is still insisting on several additional conditions before formally signing the deal.
Azerbaijan demands that Yerevan amend its constitution to remove references to Azerbaijani territory, end the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMA) in Armenia, and dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, which Baku has accused of bias over the past three decades.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict since the 1993 Nagorno-Karabakh war, when Armenian forces seized the disputed enclave in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After a bloody six-week war in late 2020, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in September 2023 to take back Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and Artsakh, the breakaway region, was officially dissolved on 1 January 2024.
Two sources familiar with the matter told MEE that the planned meeting in Dubai is a positive sign, indicating that both parties remain willing to engage despite ongoing disagreements.
Pashinyan faces elections next year, and experts say it is unlikely he could push through a constitutional referendum before the vote.
Meanwhile, Turkey has been quietly urging Baku to sign the peace agreement, reminding Azerbaijani officials of shifting dynamics in the region, such as Iran‘s waning power.
Ankara’s own normalisation process with Armenia is tied to the potential peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Turkish officials view Armenia as a key country for the so-called Middle Corridor, which would directly connect Turkey to Central Asia. Turkish companies are also eager to participate in infrastructure projects in Armenia.
Despite Baku’s objections, sources said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Pashinyan last month in the first official visit by an Armenian leader to Turkey.
A separate source familiar with Azerbaijan’s relations with the United Arab Emirates noted that Aliyev has a close relationship with UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The source added that the UAE is eager to host the talks as part of its efforts to improve relations between the two Caucasian nations.
On 25 June, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held phone calls with both Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.
“Minister Mirzoyan and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan exchanged views on efforts aimed at ensuring peace in the South Caucasus and the Middle East,” according to a readout from the Armenian foreign ministry.
Ragip Soylu
