What will Aliyev and Pashinyan discuss in Abu Dhabi? BBC highlights
In Abu Dhabi, UAE, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will hold their first bilateral meeting—without mediators or participation in an international summit.
Experts interviewed by the BBC suggest that the Abu Dhabi meeting could represent a new attempt by both countries to reach an agreement without Russian mediation. According to sources, the discussions during the meeting are expected to focus on reopening communication channels, border delimitation, and other unresolved issues. As noted, Baku demands the provision of the “Zangezur Corridor.”
Russia saw itself as a mediator in this process, thinking it would benefit from the opening of regional communications, with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk actively involved in negotiations. Moscow wanted the route passing through Armenia to be controlled by its border service. Yerevan insists that such a scenario contradicts Armenia’s sovereignty and that cargo passing through its territory should be inspected. Pashinyan also did not want the FSB to be involved in the project. Relations between Baku and the Kremlin have significantly deteriorated over the past year, and now they also do not want Russia to participate in opening communications.
“Apparently, Azerbaijan no longer sees a place for Russia in ensuring communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan via Armenian territory,” said Zaur Shiriyev, a research fellow at the Carnegie Center in Berlin, specializing in Russian and Eurasian studies.
This change in approach makes the concessions proposed by Armenia more relevant, such as involving an international security company to inspect cargo. Currently, both sides are discussing the possibility of implementing this with the participation of an American company, according to regional expert Olesya Vardanyan. The role of the U.S. in the process is also indicated by the fact that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that a peace treaty between the two sides would soon be signed.
In spring, an Armenian diplomat, speaking anonymously to the BBC, indicated that Yerevan tried to present the end of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict to the White House as an opportunity to showcase Donald Trump’s apparent peacekeeping talent. Analyst Shujaat Ahmadzada believes that during the Abu Dhabi meeting, technical issues related to signing the peace treaty—such as the date of signing—may also be discussed.
