In an historic milestone for South Caucasus diplomacy, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, conducted his first working visit to Armenia on 14 June for a high-level meeting with Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia.
The meeting, held in the resort town of Dilijan, represents one of the most important diplomatic exchanges between Baku and Yerevan since the peace agreement was initialled in Washington in August 2025.
According to identical statements released by both governments, the officials focused on the overarching peace agenda, the necessity of sustained bilateral dialogue for long-term regional stability, and confidence-building measures between civil societies. Crucially, the two agreed to maintain regular working contacts, confirming that their next session will be hosted in Azerbaijan.
Speaking to AnewZ's Editor-in-Chief Guy Shone, AnewZ's Orkhan Amashov evaluated the profound strategic weight of the meeting, which took place exactly seven days after Armenia's pivotal parliamentary elections and on the very day the results were officially certified.
When asked about the importance of the meeting's timing, Amashov emphasised that the date was a calculated demonstration of political continuity rather than a last-minute arrangement.
"The timing of this meeting is absolutely crucial, taking place just seven days after the 7 June parliamentary election, and on the day when the results were declared officially official. It must have been agreed upon weeks before the actual meeting itself."
Amashov argued that this meticulous planning underscores a deeper message about the resilience of the peace process.
"It means that the parties, both Azerbaijan and Armenia, are loyal to the peace agenda, and they will carry on in the self-same spirit. The process will remain bilateral, and they will do their level best to ensure the proper implementation of the peace agenda which involves, naturally eventual signing of the deal."
However, he noted that the recent election results introduce complex legislative hurdles for Yerevan, particularly regarding Baku’s requirement for constitutional adjustments:
"In order for that to happen, Armenia needs to sort out its constitutional problem, and with its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, that may prove to be challenging. There are some concerns about it in Azerbaijan."
Amashov highlighted the unique status of the two officials, explaining how their close relationship with their respective heads of state enables them to lay the groundwork for major diplomatic breakthroughs. He cited their critical meeting in Washington just prior to the landmark 2022 Prague agreement:
"Back in September 2022, just a couple of weeks before Azerbaijan and Armenia crucially agreed in Prague on the 6 October on the mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty, Mr. Hajiyev and Mr. Grigoryan met in Washington. They agreed on their so-called Washington document. And that document was so essential for the peace process."
According to Amashov, that specific interaction unblocked the central impediment of the entire peace track:
"Effectively, the interstate process between Azerbaijan and Armenia was distinguished from the internal Azerbaijani process. And that was a prelude to the recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity on a mutual basis. That was a key bottleneck back then in September 2022. And these two officials sorted it out. They prepared the fortuitous ground for the leaders to agree on something fundamental."
Beyond top-level statecraft, Amashov, himself a member of the Peace Bridge Initiative, pointed out that the track uniquely spans across civil society engagement, noting previous successful forums held in Gabala and Armenia, where both officials took direct questions from reciprocal delegations.
The Dilijan meeting serves as a powerful signal that both Baku and Yerevan are determined to insulate the peace agenda from domestic political cycles. By holding these high-level talks on the precise day that Armenia's post-election landscape became official, both states have reaffirmed that the path toward a final treaty remains strictly bilateral and uninterrupted.
While challenging constitutional thresholds in the wake of the parliamentary vote remain a key focus, the proven ability of the Hajiyev-Grigoryan track to navigate past bottlenecks provides a vital foundation. With the momentum now shifting to an upcoming meeting inside Azerbaijan, the structural framework for a lasting peace agreement continues to solidify.
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