Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders to hold direct talks soon in Abu Dhabi

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are set to hold a bilateral meeting on July 10 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The talks are part of the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, aimed at normalising relations, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani president's website. 

The upcoming talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan come amid a significant shift in the South Caucasus peace process following years of conflict rooted in the decades-long Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

In 2023, Azerbaijan successfully restored full sovereignty over the Karabakh region after an anti-terror operation, effectively ending separatist control and setting the stage for renewed diplomatic engagement. This milestone has been pivotal in altering the regional dynamics and paving the way for peace negotiations.

On March 13, 2025, Azerbaijan and Armenia announced they had finalised the text of a bilateral peace treaty. The draft treaty, largely driven by Azerbaijan’s steadfast emphasis on territorial integrity, includes mutual recognition of borders, renunciation of territorial claims, commitments to non-use of force, and cessation of hostile actions.

The international community, including Türkiye, the European Union, and the United States, has broadly welcomed these developments. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the imminent conclusion of the peace deal, highlighting positive diplomatic momentum and crediting the Trump administration for creating conditions conducive to progress. Speaking at a White House Cabinet meeting on July 8, Rubio said, “Hopefully, pretty soon, a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia [will be concluded]. And it hasn’t even been six months. So it’s a great testament to your leadership.”

However, the agreement remains unsigned, primarily due to Armenia’s failure to meet key preconditions. Critical issues include the need for Armenia to amend its constitution, which still contains irredentist references to Karabakh, contradicting the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Additionally, Azerbaijan demands that Armenia officially disband the obsolete OSCE Minsk Group framework, which Yerevan continues to reference despite its diminished relevance.