How did Yerevan welcome the Azerbaijanis? First-hand comments

As reported by Caliber.Az yesterday, a “roundtable” took place in Yerevan on 21–22 October 2025, bringing together representatives of civil society from Azerbaijan and Armenia. The meeting was organised through a joint initiative of a group of expert community activists and with the support of official structures from both countries. On the Armenian side, participants included Areg Kochinyan, Boris Navasardyan, Naira Sultanyan, Narek Minasyan, and Samvel Meliksetyan. Representing Azerbaijan were Farhad Mammadov, Rusif Huseynov, Ramil Iskandarli, Kamala Mammadova, and Dilara Afandiyeva.

The initiative aimed to promote a peaceful agenda in the spirit of the Joint Declaration adopted on August 8, 2025, in Washington and marked the first meeting of civil society representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan in this format. During the visit, participants also met with the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan.

To learn more about the meeting and how its participants evaluated the dialogue, a Caliber.Az correspondent spoke with members of the Azerbaijani delegation.

Azerbaijani political analyst and head of the South Caucasus Research Center, Farhad Mammadov, emphasised that, although the meeting was conducted as a dialogue between civil society representatives of the two countries, it received direct support from official state structures.

“Both governments – Azerbaijan and Armenia – were involved in the preparation and conduct of this meeting. That in itself speaks to the significance of the event,” the expert noted.

According to him, a wide range of topics concerning bilateral relations was discussed during the meetings.

“Previously, we had engaged with Armenian experts within the framework of international conferences organised by various foreign institutions. But this meeting was different, as it took place exclusively in a bilateral format, without the involvement of third parties or external mediators,” he said.

The political analyst added that, following the signing of the Joint Declaration in Washington, a new atmosphere of trust has emerged between the parties, in which the governments of both countries are taking reciprocal steps and establishing certain forms of cooperation.

“Today, a unique opportunity has arisen to develop dialogue at the level of civil society, experts, and media. It can be said that a historic qualitative leap has occurred, and there is hope that this format of communication will become sustainable and permanent. I am confident that such meetings will be held regularly and will become an integral part of bilateral interaction – not only in diplomatic and economic spheres but also at the societal level,” Mammadov said.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani human rights activist Dilara Afandiyeva said that the visit of the Azerbaijani delegation to Yerevan took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the meeting left exclusively positive impressions.

“We really enjoyed the meeting. We were very well received, and it was clear that the Armenian side was genuinely interested in continuing the work, fostering dialogue, and involving civil society in the peace process,” Afandiyeva noted. “Armen Grigoryan, whom we met in person, also spoke about this.”

According to her, the visit left not only professional but also emotional impressions.

“Yerevan turned out to be a very beautiful, modern city. People were friendly. We even noticed that our delegation was recognised on the streets, and the reaction was always positive. This feeling was everywhere – in the hotel, in restaurants. We sensed a sincere readiness of Armenian society for dialogue and the peace process. No one treated us as outsiders,” the human rights activist said.

She emphasised that political issues were not discussed at the meeting — the focus was on prospects for economic interaction and cooperation between civil society representatives of the two countries.

“We agreed on further engagement, discussed opportunities to expand cooperation, and outlined the contours of future joint projects. Symbolically, on the very day of our meeting, news broke about the lifting of all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia through Azerbaijan, which greatly encouraged our Armenian colleagues,” Afandiyeva said. She also noted that the Azerbaijani delegation views this visit as the beginning of long-term work.

“We are the first group to enter this process. Similar initiatives have been carried out before, but never with such seriousness and with the support of both governments — this is a first. Political will is crucial for any process, and now it truly exists. We are grateful to the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, and other structures that supported our initiative and made it possible for us to work. Our plans are ambitious — the time has come for genuine contacts between our societies,” concluded Afandiyeva.

Azerbaijani journalist and editor-in-chief of the news site 1news.az, Kamala Mammadova, described the meeting as highly constructive and productive.

“The meeting addressed issues that genuinely concern our society. Naturally, the discussion focused on the peace agenda and our group’s readiness to continue joint initiatives. We had concrete proposals and projects, in particular on how civil society representatives can help foster dialogue. Topics included humanitarian issues, logistics, measures to strengthen trust, and it was noted that joint initiatives with the participation of civil society produce tangible results. Overall, the meeting was different from previous ones — there was a high level of mutual understanding, no negativity; the organisation was top-notch, security was ensured, and no unpleasant incidents occurred,” Mammadova noted.

She emphasised that since the leaders of the two countries began direct dialogue, the process has noticeably progressed: “We hope that initiatives like ours will also contribute to the overall peace process.”

Commenting on the meeting with the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, Mammadova highlighted its positive tone: “The conversation was conducted constructively, with a clear focus on continuing peace initiatives. Armen Grigoryan personally showed great interest in developing the dialogue. He answered all our questions and emphasised the importance of advancing the process and establishing contacts as quickly as possible.”