Pashinyan and Aliyev Discuss “Various Aspects of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Normalization Agenda”

ABU DHABI  — On July 10, 2025, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan met in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and discussed various aspects of the Armenia-Azerbaijan interstate normalization agenda.

Following five hours of negotiations, neither Yerevan nor Baku reported any concrete agreements. In similar statement, both sides indicated that they had discussed several aspects of the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization process.

Both Yerevan and Baku emphasized that bilateral negotiations are the most effective format and agreed to continue the dialogue.

“The leaders of the two countries, noting progress made in the border delimitation process, instructed the respective state commissions to continue their practical work in this direction. The parties also agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and implement confidence-building measures,” Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan expressed gratitude to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for the warm hospitality and for hosting the bilateral meeting.

However, the methods for building trust remain unclear. It is not known whether the commissions led by Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev will proceed with delimiting a new section of the border. Since the return of four villages adjacent to Tavush, the border delimitation process has seen no progress for over a year.

The agenda for today’s Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting had not been disclosed in advance. Issues such as the unblocking of transport routes, border delimitation, and a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan are typically addressed in separate negotiations.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations in Abu Dhabi included all officials who have previously participated in these discussions. On the Armenian side: Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan, and Special Envoy for Armenia-Turkey normalization Ruben Rubinyan—who has also taken part in some Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.

The Azerbaijani delegation included: Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev, and Special Representative Elchin Amirbekov.

The negotiations began in an expanded format and later continued face-to-face between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After a short break, the meeting resumed.