Azerbaijan Rejects Armenia’s Proposal for Bilateral Meeting in London

LONDON — Azerbaijan has declined Armenia’s proposal to organize a meeting between the leaders of the two countries in London, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ani Badalyan.

“The Armenian side suggested holding a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan within the framework of the European Political Community Summit underway in the UK. However, the Azerbaijani side rejected this proposal,” Badalyan stated in a Facebook post, adding that “the offer of the Armenian side still stands.”

Badalyan also mentioned that Yerevan is prepared to “intensify high-level negotiations and reach the signing of a peace agreement within a month.”

Hikmet Hajiyev, a senior aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, claimed that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declined British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s offer to host talks between him and Aliyev. Hajiyev asserted that Yerevan is “withdrawing from dialogue and the intention to promote a peace agenda.”

Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were among the predominantly European leaders attending the summit at Blenheim Palace in central England.