Pashinyan comments on latest Armenia–Azerbaijan meeting

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted on Thursday that the recent meeting between two senior Armenian and Azerbaijani officials took place in Armenia and not outside the region in a third country.

Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan held talks with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department, in Dilijan on June 14.

“This means that in terms of the peace process we are moving forward and managing the risks that could have arisen,” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing when asked about the meeting.

He noted that various issues were raised during the meeting, including those related to detainees, as well as matters concerning the management of the border situation.

“I had instructed Armen Grigoryan to discuss with his Azerbaijani counterpart whether there was a need for a meeting or not. We are engaged in managing the situation,” Pashinyan said, adding that negotiations between all countries around the world are conducted to discuss each other’s positions, plans, strategies, and concerns.

Following the June 14 meeting, both governments issued identical readouts, saying they discussed issues related to the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agenda and emphasized the importance of continuing direct bilateral dialogue.