Why the Pashinyan-Aliev Bilateral Meeting Did Not Take Place in London: 'Hraparak'

Insider discussions within the government suggest that the Pashinyan-Aliev meeting in London was aborted because Prime Minister Pashinyan aimed to showcase his defiance against the 'significant concessions' urged by a collective West, particularly the United Kingdom in this instance. According to various reports, he declined the bilateral meeting solely because Aliev insisted on the participation of a representative from the UK, known for its overtly pro-Azerbaijani stance. Following Miller's urging regarding substantial concessions, there are no doubts within the Armenian side that such a format could have put the Armenian leader in a compromising position. Even through official statements, official Yerevan has implied this, writes 'Hraparak' newspaper.

Recall that Azerbaijan's President’s assistant for foreign affairs, Hikmet Hajiyev, stated that 'the meeting was proposed by the British side,' and that 'the Armenian Prime Minister's refusal is a retreat from the peace agenda.' A spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry responded that the Armenian side had suggested a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan during the ongoing summit of the European Political Community in the UK, but the Azerbaijani side rejected the proposal. 'The Armenian side also reiterates its proposal to intensify negotiations at high and higher levels and aims to reach the signing of a peace treaty within a month,' the spokesperson noted.