Ilham Aliyev Discusses with Pashinyan Behind Closed Doors: Details

During an informal meeting of CIS leaders in Saint Petersburg, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke with Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan behind closed doors, announced Hikmet Hajiyev, head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration.

"During the conversation, issues regarding the continuation of active negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the strengthening of the ceasefire regime were discussed," Hajiyev stated in an interview with the Azertag news agency.

According to him, it is necessary to take into account that these two factors are closely interrelated and complement each other.

"Recently, there has been relative tranquility along the line of contact and state border, which creates very good preconditions for conducting negotiations on resolving the conflict. This should not lead to the freezing of the conflict or the maintenance of an unacceptable status quo," said Hajiyev.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan supports the prompt change of the status quo.

"The importance of changing the status quo has been repeatedly emphasized at the level of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group. In the framework of negotiations on resolving the conflict, territorial integrity and sovereignty must be restored within internationally recognized borders," Hajiyev added.

He also mentioned that during the conversation, Aliyev and Pashinyan discussed the issue of the exchange of 'detained persons'.

Hajiyev also commented on the direct contact between the two countries. "Such contact exists. However, it is not at the level of state leaders, foreign ministers, or defense ministers. It is one level lower and is used as needed," Hajiyev said.