Azerbaijan, Armenia Meet for Peace Talks in UAE, No Timeline Set

As part of continued efforts to reach a peace deal aimed at ending their countries’ nearly four decades of conflict, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are meeting in Abu Dhabi.

Confirmed by both parties, the talks come after a draft peace framework was completed in March, years after Nagorno-Karabakh clashes intensified in the late 1980s when the region—then primarily inhabited by ethnic Armenians—separated from Azerbaijan with Armenia’s backing.

Following Azerbaijan’s swift military operation to retake Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, which resulted in the exodus of almost all of the 100,000 ethnic Armenian residents of the region to Armenia, the momentum for negotiations increased.

There is currently no set timeframe for a finalized agreement, despite the establishment of the draft peace plan. Although there have been no recent reports of violations, ceasefire violations along the heavily fortified 1,000-kilometer border increased soon after the draft was announced.

Azerbaijan’s demand that Armenia amend its constitution, which Baku claims contains implicit claims over Azerbaijani territory, is one of several controversial issues that continue to impede progress. Prime Minister Pashinyan recently admitted that the nation’s founding document needs to be revised, despite Armenia’s denial of this claim.

In addition, Azerbaijan wants to build a transportation corridor through Armenia to link the Nakhchivan exclave, which borders Turkiye, a crucial ally of Azerbaijan, with its mainland.

Pashinyan and Aliyev last met in person in May at the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania. Armenia characterized Pashinyan’s June trip to Istanbul, where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as a significant step toward regional peace.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted the urgent need for stability in the South Caucasus earlier this week and voiced optimism about the possibility of a timely peace deal.

Due to the widespread displacement of Armenians from Azerbaijan and Azeris from Armenia since the late 1980s, the history of this conflict continues to have a significant impact on both countries and has left deep scars throughout the region.

With input from Al Jazeera