Aliyev Provides Details on Meeting with Nikol Pashinyan in Vienna

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev provided an interview to the Russian TASS news agency following a meeting with the President of Austria in Vienna. Commenting on his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Aliyev stated, “As you know, the foreign ministers of the two countries have held negotiations several times. The meeting is significant because a new start has been given to the negotiation process.”

Aliyev emphasized that the negotiation format remained unchanged, stating that talks continue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, just as they have for many years. This indicates that the initiative from official Yerevan to bring the Republic of Artsakh to the negotiation table has not received approval and has not continued.

“A new impetus has been given to the negotiation process. We have evaluated positively the statement from the OSCE Minsk Group on March 9, which stated that any change to the negotiation format can occur only with the consent of both sides. Naturally, the Azerbaijani side has not given consent for a change in the format,” Aliyev added.

Aliyev also announced that the foreign ministers of the two countries will soon meet to continue negotiations aimed at achieving results. For Azerbaijan, the top priority is the liberation of the 'occupied' territories, based on the Helsinki Final Act and four United Nations Security Council resolutions. These require the immediate withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the 'occupied' areas.