The recent bilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mark a significant step toward finalizing a long-awaited peace agreement, opening regional transport corridors, and resolving key issues between the two nations, according to Metin Mammadli, senior consultant at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center).
Mammadli emphasized that the initiative for holding talks in a purely bilateral format came from Azerbaijan — a move he said has proven effective.
“Back in autumn 2023, Azerbaijan made it clear that negotiations should proceed only in a bilateral format. Our stance is rooted in the belief that third-party mediation does not help the peace process — on the contrary, it tends to serve external interests and often slows progress. Mediators seek regional influence, but they must understand they are no longer central to this process. Armenia has accepted Azerbaijan’s proposal, and we’re now seeing tangible results: a draft peace agreement has been outlined and progress has been made on border delimitation,” he explained.
Mammadli added that amid this constructive momentum, the long-discussed Zangezur Corridor and a finalized peace treaty are both within reach.
“The meeting in Abu Dhabi shows that both Baku and Yerevan are willing to push forward on the core elements of the peace agenda. There’s genuine potential for a breakthrough, but much will depend on the course of negotiations and the political will of the Armenian leadership going forward,” he concluded.
