Bryza: Charles Michel's statement is most positive since end of 44-day war

The statement by European Council President Charles Michel about progress on detailed points regarding humanitarian issues, border demarcation, and a future peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is the most positive such pronouncement since the end of the Second Karabakh War on November 10, 2020, Matthew Bryza, international expert and former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, told Report.

"This echoes the statement several weeks ago by Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, which suggests the Armenian government may indeed be willing to focus on the rights of the Armenian people in Karabakh rather than on Karabakh’s legal status. This approach by Yerevan has prompted weeks of protests by Armenia’s political opposition. Despite these protests, Armenia appears to be pressing ahead with this diplomatic line, which bodes well for the peace process," Bryza said.

According to Bryza, it is also important that the bilateral border demarcation working group will finally convene in the coming days, and that border security issues were discussed in this third trilateral meeting, as this should help reduce military clashes along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.

On May 22, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels with President of the European Council Charles Michel and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.