Azerbaijan–Armenia leaders in key ongoing bilateral talks in Abu Dhabi amid peace push

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are currently holding high-level bilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, signalling a renewed push for a long-term peace agreement between the two countries.

The meeting between President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, clearly reveals the contours of the emerging post-conflict geopolitical order in the South Caucasus.

This meeting is not just a diplomatic gesture, but also a result of Azerbaijan's principled diplomatic stance and growing political weight. For years, various negotiation formats yielded little — from the failed OSCE Minsk Group to post-war mediation efforts by third countries pursuing their own interests. These formats, in practice, served more to preserve the status quo than resolve the conflict.

Although the meeting was only officially confirmed a day earlier, speculation had circulated for about a week. The choice of the location in the UAE — widely seen as a neutral actor with strong relations with both Baku and Yerevan — has been positively received by both sides.

While full details of the agenda remain undisclosed, it is believed the peace treaty and issues related to regional connectivity — including the opening of the Zangazur corridor linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave — are key items on the table.

The presence of top-level officials, including foreign ministers and deputy prime ministers, indicates the comprehensive scope of the talks. The meeting includes both extended discussions with delegations and a one-on-one session between Aliyev and Pashinyan — a format considered more strategic and productive than previous meetings held on the sidelines of international summits.

With a draft peace agreement reportedly finalized in March, only a few outstanding legal and political hurdles remain before a final deal can be signed.

Experts view the timing of the meeting in the context of broader regional developments — particularly strained Armenian-Russian ties and instability following the Iran-Israel conflict.

Despite outside pressures and past international involvement, the process remains firmly bilateral — a marked shift from earlier, mediator-driven formats.

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