Armenian premier, Azerbaijani presidents to meet in Brussels - The  Financial Times

ArmInfo.The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia will resume peace talks in Brussels this weekend,  according to officials, as western allies are stepping up mediation efforts between the conflict-wracked neighbours following a recent uptick in fighting over their disputed border.

European Council President Charles Michel will host a meeting on  Sunday between Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, three officials with knowledge of the  preparations told the Financial Times.

It will be the first time the two leaders have met in person since  talks in Munich in February and comes after the two countries'  foreign ministers held extensive discussions in Washington last week.  US Secretary of state Antony Blinken said those talks "made tangible  progress on a durable peace agreement" and that he believed "an  agreement [is] within sight, within reach".

The Brussels meeting is an "important sign of progress", one of the  three officials said on condition of anonymity as it is not yet  public, adding that the EU and US efforts were "mutually reinforcing"  and "complementary two-track processes".

There are also plans for the three leaders to hold another meeting on  June 1 with German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president  Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the European Political Community  summit in Moldova, two of the officials said.

Spokespeople for Michel and Aliyev declined to comment. A  spokesperson for Pashinyan did not respond to a request for comment.

"Azerbaijan feels quite comfortable with the Charles Michel mission  because [the] EU doesn't have a hidden agenda," said Hikmet Hajiyev,  Aliyev's foreign policy adviser. He added that the EU process had  developed "key concepts" for the negotiations and their structure.

The talks are likely to focus on Azerbaijan's recent decision to  install a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, the only road access  from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. They will also feature discussions  on border demarcation, prisoner exchanges and efforts to remove  thousands of mines that litter the enclave.

Yerevan says Baku is using the checkpoint to strangle critical  supplies of food and medicine to Nagorno- Karabakh, while Baku says  it is necessary to prevent weapons being smuggled into the territory.

"Regulation of its own territory is normal for every country," said  Hajiyev. "The road is open, but the road is closed for illicit  trafficking."

The EU-led effort is also a test of its clout in its wider  neighbourhood and a challenge to Moscow's historic influence. Russia  has about 2,000 troops stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh as peacekeepers  after brokering the 2020 ceasefire.

Hajiyev said Baku was "flexible" about meeting in Moscow, Washington  or Brussels, noting that the process should be more "inclusive" in  order to yield results.

"Russia can effectively contribute to the peace-building process in  the region," said Hajiyev. "But it's also true that Russia is very  much preoccupied with the war in Ukraine."