Pashinian, Aliyev discussed Armenian-Azerbaijan peace agendaDecember 27, 2023 - 15:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday, December 27 during a summit of the leaders of ex-Soviet states in Saint Petersburg, an Armenian government spokeswoman said, RFE/RL’s Armenian service reports. The official, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, said they discussed the “Armenian-Azerbaijan peace agenda” during their “unofficial contacts” there. “The discussions took place in a bilateral format,” Baghdasaryan added without giving further details. It was Aliyev’s and Pashinyan’s first face-to-face conversation since Azerbaijan’s September 19-20 military offensive that restored Azerbaijani control over Nagorno-Karabakh and forced the region’s population to flee to Armenia. The two leaders previously met in Brussels in July for talks hosted by European Union Council President Charles Michel. Aliyev twice cancelled more such talks which Michel planned to organize in October. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov similarly withdrew from a November 20 meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Washington. Baku accused the Western powers of pro-Armenian bias and proposed direct negotiations with Yerevan. Pashinyan suggested on December 18 that Aliyev may be dragging his feet on a peace treaty with Armenia sought by the EU and the United States. Russia has been very critical of the Western peace efforts, saying that they are primarily aimed at driving it out of the South Caucasus. On December 6, Moscow rebuked Yerevan for ignoring its recent offers to organize more Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations and warned that Pashinyan’s current preference of Western mediation may spell more trouble for the Armenian people. It is not clear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to hold a formal trilateral meeting with Aliyev and Pashinyan on the sidelines of Tuesday’s Commonwealth of Independent States summit. The Kremlin did not signal such attempts in the run-up to the summit. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. |