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.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations...
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United St...
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has cleared the criminal record of former soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank in 2016.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The death toll in a suicide attack at a police compound in northwest Pakistan has reached 31, AFP reported on Saturday, citing a police official.
Azerbaijan has rejected France’s justification for advising its citizens against travel to the country, after Paris cited risks of arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment