A group of Armenian civil society representatives visited Azerbaijan on November 21–22 as part of the “Bridge of Peace” Initiative, marking a rare and symbolically important step toward building people-to-people dialogue between the two countries.
The Armenian delegation – Areg Kochinyan, Boris Navasardyan, Naira Sultanyan, Narek Minasyan, and Samvel Meliksetyan – met with Azerbaijani counterparts Farhad Mammadov, Rusif Huseynov, Kamala Mammadova, Ramil Iskanderli, and Fuad Abdullayev. Discussions focused on the dynamics of the peace process, the role of civil society in sustaining dialogue, and potential joint projects for the months ahead.
Participants reviewed issues of mutual concern surrounding the peace agenda and agreed to intensify cooperation in the media sphere, expand direct expert-to-expert contacts, and deepen the involvement of civil society actors on both sides. The sides also agreed to maintain working-level communication and plan future reciprocal visits.
As part of the program, the delegation met with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration. The meeting covered steps taken by Baku and Yerevan following the Washington talks and ongoing efforts to reinforce the peace agenda.
A New Phase of Civil Society Engagement
Farhad Mammadov, head of the South Caucasus Research Center, told Report that the cooperation plan discussed during the visit covers the next six months and that the platform will now operate under the formal name “Bridge of Peace Initiative.”
According to Mammadov, the sides agreed to launch preparatory work on concrete joint projects and to expand the format to include more civil society representatives in future meetings.
Regular Meetings Planned
Azerbaijani participant Kamala Mammadova told Oxu.Az that both sides defined media cooperation and the strengthening of expert contacts as priority areas. She added that the Armenian guests also took part in a cultural program, visiting the Maiden Tower, the Heydar Aliyev Center, Icherisheher, the Botanical Garden, and the Armenian Church in Baku.
“Although the exact date has not been set, we agreed that such meetings will be held regularly,” Mammadova said.
Symbolic Shift Toward Public Dialogue
Jafar Huseynzade, Azerbaijan’s envoy to NATO, described the visit as a “transition from interstate diplomacy to public dialogue,” marking a new stage in the peace process with direct participation of civil society. In a post on X, he noted that the talks focused on building mutual understanding, exploring joint initiatives, and strengthening cooperation in media and expert-level communication.
The November 21–22 visit underscores growing interest in establishing stable channels of communication between the societies of Azerbaijan and Armenia – an essential step toward consolidating any future peace agreement.
