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Armenian civil society representatives who visited Azerbaijan on November 21–22 to meet with their counterparts as part of the Bridge of Peace Initiative held a press conference on Monday in Yerevan to present the outcomes of the trip.
Areg Kochinyan, President of the Security Policy Research Center NGO, Boris Navasardyan, President of the Yerevan Press Club, Naira Sultanyan, Director of the Democracy Development Foundation, Security Policy Research Center experts Narek Minasyan and Samvel Meliksetyan, met in Azerbaijan with Farhad Mammedov, Director at the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Rusif Huseynov, the Co-founder of Topchubashov Center, 1news editor-in-chief Kyamala Mammedova, Ramil Iskandarli, Chairman of the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, and Fuad Abdullayev, the leading advisor at the Center of the Analysis of International Relations.
During the meeting, the dynamics of the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the role of civil society in promoting dialogue, and the prospects for implementing joint projects were discussed.
Attention was also given to current issues related to the peace process that are of concern to the societies of both countries.
Furthermore, the Armenian civil society representatives were also received by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration.
During the meeting, the steps taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan to strengthen the peace agenda following the Washington meeting were discussed. Hikmet Hajiyev answered questions from the initiative’s representatives.
In his remarks at the press conference in Yerevan, Areg Kochinyan noted that the visit took place on the principle of reciprocity, as representatives of Azerbaijani civil society had recently visited Armenia.
“Our goal is for such visits to be continuous, and an agreement has already been reached on this matter. We arrived in Baku via a direct flight. It is a great responsibility for us that significant resources are used when carrying out such initiatives. We will also work to attract additional resources, meaning not only from the state budget but also from international partners. In both Armenia and Azerbaijan, the relevant authorities were involved in ensuring the security of the reciprocal visits,” Kochinyan said.
Kochinyan presented what he described as Hikmet Hajiyev’s messages addressed to the Armenian society: according to which Azerbaijan considers the war with Armenia to be over, the conflict is resolved, Azerbaijan has no territorial claims against Armenia, and the Azerbaijani side seeks to build a comprehensive and long-term peace from the current situation and is ready to move forward along that path.
“After thirty-five years of hostility and hatred of this level and depth, mutual anger, distrust, and resentment are natural, so a great deal of work lies ahead to overcome these feelings. Referring to the Washington documents, we now have the opportunity to set red lines. Looking back at past statements and actions, it is clear that they led to a dead-end. In this matter, we have mutual understanding with our Azerbaijani colleagues. Significant work also awaits us in creating an environment for coexistence,” Kochinyan said.
Naira Sultanyan noted that the Armenian society is deeply concerned about the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan, and that this topic was discussed during the meeting with Hajiyev in Baku.
“No restrictions were applied by either the Armenian or Azerbaijani side regarding raising this issue. We have repeatedly raised, and continue to raise, the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan in international forums. Speaking directly with the Azerbaijani side on this topic was a new experience for us. Unfortunately, we did not receive a clear and specific answer regarding the number of people held in Baku, but Mr. Hajiyev assured us that a very active negotiation process is underway. As a result of this short visit and the meetings held within its framework, we are contributing further to positive solutions,” Sultanyan said.
Narek Minasyan noted that both sides are at the initial stage of the dialogue process, which is quite complex given the long-standing conflict and all its emotional layers.
“During meetings with our Azerbaijani colleagues and Mr. Hajiyev, the idea of political dividends from the peace process was emphasized. Accordingly, practical steps must be taken so that the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples can feel the benefits of peace firsthand. During the meeting with Hajiyev, we raised the issue of neutralizing various irritants, such as the occasional use of provocative or problematic expressions by certain Azerbaijani figures, which negatively affect the settlement process,” Minasyan said.
He added that the Armenian delegation also raised the issue of the distortion of place names, citing publications in the Azerbaijani press.
“The Azerbaijani side agrees with the idea that greater attention must be paid to rhetoric and place names, aiming to reduce the recurrence of cases that could negatively affect the normalization process. Such small results are important for moving forward and building an atmosphere of trust. These kinds of dialogues lay the groundwork and obligate the parties to contribute to the peace process; therefore, such efforts should be encouraged by society,” Minasyan said.
Boris Navasardyan noted that this initiative stems not only from civil society but also complements the official process.
“From the outset, we have had two main directions of activity. The first is acting as a communicator in the conflict resolution process. In Baku, we were convinced that whatever we discuss reaches its destination, regardless of the nature of the responses. The second direction involves engaging Armenian and Azerbaijani expert resources in the settlement process. There will be various events during which proposals and perspectives will be presented by both sides. It is also necessary for media on both sides to contribute to the settlement process by intensively presenting all issues without distorting reality,” Navasardyan said.
He assured that the “5+5” meeting format will be expanded to include other individuals and organizations with constructive ideas.
Samvel Meliksetyan also noted that the issue of unblocking regional transport routes was discussed in Baku.
“These interactions are useful because they help us better understand what the other side envisions and what we want. For Azerbaijan, maintaining a connection with Nakhchivan is a priority, so reopening communications is directly related to this issue. Azerbaijan will also develop alternative routes, for example through Iran, which is expected to become operational next year. Discussions also cover issues related to the relaunch of railways, gas pipelines, oil pipelines, and cables, which fall under the ‘Trump Route’ initiative,” Meliksetyan said.
He added that, although Azerbaijan accuses the Armenian side of moving slowly, the Armenian side, in turn, wants to highlight that there are objective circumstances.
“Another important issue concerns border delimitation and demarcation. Although problematic topics periodically arise, the understandings and agreements formed under the regulation of the joint activity of the commissions adopted on August 31, 2024, remain relevant, assuming that complex issues must be resolved step by step. The same applies to the issue of enclaves,” he said, adding that the reality in both countries is fundamentally different from what the media portrays.
“Both Armenia and Azerbaijan see themselves as victims of the conflict, so it is quite difficult to truly understand the consequences of the conflict for both countries. If we do not want the conflict to continue along the previous logic, we must make greater efforts to address the consequences by intensifying such interactions,” Meliksetyan said.
Azerbaijan has acknowledged 23 Armenians in its custody.
When the entire Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh fled to Armenia during the 2023 September Azerbaijani offensive, a number of high-ranking then-incumbent and former statesmen and officials were detained and charged with what has been widely described as fabricated charges, including terrorism. The detainees and POWs include ex-presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, then-Speaker of Parliament Davit Ishkhanyan, former FM Davit Babayan, former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan, as well as former State Minister, entrepreneur and Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founder Ruben Vardanyan.
Azerbaijani prosecutors have requested prison terms ranging from 16 years to life imprisonment for the ex-leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh on many charges, including terrorism. Three former presidents are among the 23 prisoners captured by Azerbaijan after it militarily took over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Some experts have branded the subsequent trials as “sham trials.”
According to Azerbaijani media reports, prosecutors have asked the court in Baku to sentence former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former army chief Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy army chief Davit Manukyan, former Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs David Babayan to life imprisonment. Prosecutors seek 20-year sentences for ex-presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, as the law prohibits life sentences for defendants aged 65 or above.
The other prisoners face prison terms ranging from 16 to 20 years.
Former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan’s trial is being held separately.
According to unconfirmed reports, the actual number of Armenian detainees, including POWs, in Azerbaijan may be higher.