Azerbaijan sees breakthrough in Armenia peace talks, proposes interim step on draft treaty

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, noted significant progress in Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks, calling the Abu Dhabi meeting constructive and indicative of deepening bilateral engagement.

Speaking to journalists, Hajiyev emphasised that the absence of external mediators marked a significant feature of the Abu Dhabi meeting, reinforcing the commitment of both sides to a direct and sovereign dialogue, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

“This meeting demonstrated that the peace process is evolving entirely through a bilateral framework,” he stated, noting that the countries have engaged in such direct talks for over two years.

Hajiyev reported that meaningful progress had been made on core elements of the peace agenda, including the draft text of a peace treaty, issues of border delimitation, and broader efforts to ensure lasting regional stability. He highlighted a shared interest in moving away from military confrontation toward structured mechanisms for managing bilateral disagreements.

“A central goal remains the institutionalisation of peaceful dispute resolution at all levels of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations,” he said. “This is fundamental to securing the region’s long-term peace.”

According to Hajiyev, one of the key points addressed in Abu Dhabi was the peace treaty itself. Reflecting President Ilham Aliyev’s position, he noted that Azerbaijan has proposed initialling the agreement as an interim step—part of a pragmatic diplomatic strategy.

“This proposal is currently under consideration, particularly in light of outstanding issues such as Armenia’s constitutional provisions and the obsolete status of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Hajiyev said, adding that the Azerbaijani side remains committed to advancing dialogue in a flexible and forward-looking manner.

On July 10, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Abu Dhabi for a bilateral discussion aimed at advancing the peace process between their countries.

The talks were held without external intermediaries, reflecting a move towards direct dialogue in a neutral setting. The leaders discussed progress on delimiting the 1,000-kilometre shared border, as well as the establishment of the Zangezur corridor, a transport link connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave.

Both sides agreed to begin preparations to initial a peace agreement, moving closer to formalising the draft treaty outlined earlier in the year. While the meeting was constructive, some issues remain unresolved.

Azerbaijan has called on Armenia to amend its constitution to remove territorial claims and to formally renounce the OSCE Minsk Group, which Baku regards as outdated. The United States expressed support for the peace efforts and stability in the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev