The meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Abu Dhabi creates favorable conditions for signing a peace treaty, opening communications in the region and reaching an agreement on other issues in the near future, Matin Mammadli, senior advisor for the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), told Report.
He noted that the initiative to hold meetings in a bilateral format comes from the Azerbaijani side and that such a format is very effective.
"In the fall of 2023, Azerbaijan unequivocally proposed to hold negotiations only in a bilateral format. Our position is based on the fact that the role of a third party as a mediator does not contribute to the peace process. On the contrary, mediators pursue their own interests rather than achieving peace, and slow down the process. Holding a meeting in a bilateral format is contrary to their interests. They want to establish their control in the region, but they should know that they are already on the sidelines, and the negotiations will continue in a bilateral format. Armenia accepted Azerbaijan's proposal, and as a result, we are seeing positive dynamics in the peace process: a draft peace treaty has been agreed upon, progress has been made on the issue of border delimitation," he added.
The expert emphasized that against the background of positive trends, the opening of the Zangazur Corridor and the signing of a peace agreement are quite realistic in the foreseeable future.
"In Abu Dhabi, the parties agreed to continue negotiations on key elements of the peace process. This shows that Azerbaijan and Armenia intend to achieve serious progress in the near future. However, the outcome will depend on the progress of the negotiation process and the position that the Armenian authorities will take in the future," he added.