A group of five Armenian civil society experts is set to visit Baku on November 21–22 for a roundtable discussion aimed at expanding confidence-building measures between Armenian and Azerbaijani communities.
The Armenian government has allocated 18 million drams (about $50,000) to organize a charter flight on the Yerevan–Baku–Yerevan route.
The visit is described as a reciprocal step following last month’s trip of Azerbaijani experts to Yerevan. According to Armenian analysts, the mission carries both symbolic and practical significance as the two countries continue navigating a delicate post-war agenda.
Agenda Expected to Go Beyond Formal Discussions
While the official purpose of the trip is participation in a civil society roundtable, Armenian commentators note that the scope of the delegation’s agenda is likely to be broader. Alongside discussions on peace negotiations, border delimitation, transit routes, and economic cooperation, the Armenian side is expected to raise humanitarian issues – particularly the fate of Armenians currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan.
CivilNet analysts Stella Meghrabyans and Arshaluis Mgdesyan emphasized that the “asymmetry of agendas” is natural, given that the Armenian delegation is under pressure from families of detainees and human rights groups to use the opportunity to seek access or at least updated information on Armenian prisoners.
Prisoner Issue Remains the Most Sensitive Point
The commentators described the prisoner issue as “the most emotionally charged and politically sensitive” part of the Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization process. Several former officials of the unrecognized Karabakh administration are currently on trial in Baku and face severe sentences, including life imprisonment.
Human rights advocates in Yerevan say they continue to receive “alarming signals” regarding the conditions of detainees, claiming limited access to food and medical care. One detainee, a Lebanese-Armenian, is reportedly now wheelchair-bound.
Armenia’s government insists it raises the issue in every meeting with Western partners. During her recent visit to Yerevan, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker discussed the matter with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said the topic is on the agenda of all talks with Washington.
Turkey Signals Its Own Conditions
The segment also addressed recent remarks by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who said Ankara sees no reason to rush normalization with Armenia. According to Fidan, premature normalization could reduce Yerevan’s motivation to conclude a peace treaty with Azerbaijan – particularly on constitutional changes and reopening regional transport links.
Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan responded that opening the border with Turkey would, on the contrary, positively influence Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization. Analysts, however, noted that Ankara clearly views progress with Armenia as inseparable from Yerevan’s progress with Baku – a strategic linkage unlikely to change.
Kazakhstan Visit Tied to Regional Shifts
Separately, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan traveled to Kazakhstan this week. Analysts say the visit reflects Yerevan’s effort to diversify its economic and logistical partnerships through the Eurasian Economic Union and to tap into Kazakhstan’s role in regional supply chains, including possible wheat and fuel deliveries via Azerbaijani territory.
The broader context, they noted, is the emerging “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP),” which the U.S. administration envisions as a multi-regional connectivity project potentially linking the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
