Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs hold first bilateral talks

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jul 19:46
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The talks, held in Georgia's capital Tbilisi, were expected to build on an agreement reached by the Caucasus leaders in May under EU mediation to "advance discussions" on a future peace treaty.

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov (L) and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (R)

Officials said the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met for the first time since the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The Nagorno-Karabakh war claimed the lives of 6,500 people in six weeks before a truce, mediated by Russia, was agreed upon, leading to Yerevan ceding territory to Baku.

The talks, held in Georgia's capital Tbilisi, were expected to build on an agreement reached by the Caucasus leaders in May under EU mediation to "advance discussions" on a future peace treaty.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov "discussed a wide range of issues related to normalizing relations between the two countries."

Mirzoyan "emphasized the importance of the Karabakh conflict's political resolution for building a lasting peace in the (Caucasus) region" and urged Baku to release Armenian POWs, as per the Ministry.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed optimism on Friday that "the first meeting of ministers... will bring in a result."

Prior to the meeting, both countries' defense ministries traded accusations of starting an overnight shootout at their shared border.

Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels in April and May, and their next meeting is scheduled for July or August, according to European Council President Charles Michel.