Belgium and the Netherlands adopted parliamentary resolutions on 16 April urging the release of Armenians held in Azerbaijan and calling for conditions to enable the return of displaced Armenians from Garabagh, prompting a sharp diplomatic response from Baku.
On 20 April, Julien de Fraipont, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Marianne de Jong, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Azerbaijan, were separately summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry stated that the parliamentary resolutions were based on utterly false and unfounded assessments, reflecting a deeply rooted anti-Azerbaijani bias within the institutions.
The diplomatic fallout comes at a sensitive moment in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, with negotiations advancing and parliamentary elections approaching in Armenia.
Speaking to Katie Wilson on the Daybreak programme on AnewZ, Elmira Talybzadeh, a political analyst at the Caucasus Policy Analysis Centre, said the region was experiencing a “rare but fragile moment”, with Azerbaijan and Armenia closer to peace than at any stage in recent years.
“At this time, in many years, we are closest than ever. But however, there is some pressure coming outside to this process,” she said.
Talybzadeh said external pressure risked complicating the process.
“We are the only people who are able to solve the problems here in the Caucasus,” she said.
“The negotiation process should not be shaped by pressure from outside.”
Talybzadeh said many in the region see growing opportunities for communication, integration and economic development between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, while warning that diaspora activism abroad may not always reflect the priorities of people living in the South Caucasus.
“Armenians living next to Azerbaijan know what it is like to live in war conditions. They do not want to start another war. They understand the cost of these actions,” she said.
According to Talybzadeh, direct dialogue between Baku and Yerevan remains the most effective route to a lasting settlement, rather than initiatives driven from Brussels, Washington or other capitals.
She also pointed to improving contact between President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, saying ties between the two leaders appeared to be strengthening.
With parliamentary elections due in Armenia in July 2026, Talybzadeh said the outcome could have a significant impact on future diplomacy.
She said Azerbaijan would favour any leadership in Yerevan willing to continue peace talks and dialogue.
“For us, we see the personality and candidacy of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as the most optimal variant today for the whole South Caucasus region,” she said.
She added that any return of revanchist politics or confrontational rhetoric could negatively affect the peace process.
Talybzadeh said opening borders, transport routes and trade links could accelerate reconciliation.
“There should be some stimulus in the process,” she said. “And as a stimulus, I see opening borders in economic and transport-logistics ways.”
She noted that Azerbaijan has already facilitated transit trade flows, including cargo moving between Russia and Armenia through Azerbaijani territory.
Despite criticism of the resolutions, Talybzadeh said Azerbaijan’s broader ties with the European Union were unlikely to suffer significant damage due to strong cooperation in energy, trade and other sectors.
However, she suggested such developments could lead Baku to adopt a firmer stance in some areas of engagement with European institutions..
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