Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to meet in Dubai later in July

ArmInfo. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are scheduled to meet in Dubai later this month as the two countries continue negotiations towards a peace agreement, Middle East Eye has learned.

The two leaders last met in May on the sidelines of the European  Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania, where they pledged to  keep communication channels open.

Although Armenia and Azerbaijan reached consensus on a draft peace  agreement in March, Baku is still insisting on several additional  conditions before formally signing the deal.

Azerbaijan demands that Yerevan amend its constitution to remove  references to Azerbaijani territory, end the European Union  Monitoring Mission (EUMA) in Armenia, and dissolve the OSCE Minsk  Group, which Baku has accused of bias over the past three decades.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict since the 1993  Nagorno-Karabakh war, when Armenian forces seized the disputed  enclave in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

After a bloody six-week war in late 2020, Azerbaijan launched a  military operation in September 2023 to take back Nagorno-Karabakh,  resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and  Artsakh, the breakaway region, was officially dissolved on 1 January  2024.

Two sources familiar with the matter told MEE that the planned  meeting in Dubai is a positive sign, indicating that both parties  remain willing to engage despite ongoing disagreements.

Pashinyan faces elections next year, and experts say it is unlikely  he could push through a constitutional referendum before the vote.

Meanwhile, Turkey has been quietly urging Baku to sign the peace  agreement, reminding Azerbaijani officials of shifting dynamics in  the region, such as Iran's waning power.

Ankara's own normalisation process with Armenia is tied to the  potential peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

After a bloody six-week war in late 2020, Azerbaijan launched a  military operation in September 2023 to take back Nagorno-Karabakh,  resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and  Artsakh, the breakaway region, was officially dissolved on 1 January  2024.

Two sources familiar with the matter told MEE that the planned  meeting in Dubai is a positive sign, indicating that both parties  remain willing to engage despite ongoing disagreements.

Pashinyan faces elections next year, and experts say it is unlikely  he could push through a constitutional referendum before the vote.

Meanwhile, Turkey has been quietly urging Baku to sign the peace  agreement, reminding Azerbaijani officials of shifting dynamics in  the region, such as Iran's waning power.

Ankara's own normalisation process with Armenia is tied to the  potential peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.