Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders to meet in Brussels

By Ali Murat Alhas

BRUSSELS (AA) – The leaders of the Caucasus nations of Azerbaijan and Armenia are set to meet next week in Brussels with Charles Michel, the president of the European Council.

According to the Michel's weekly schedule posted online, the leader of the 29-member council will gather next Wednesday for a tripartite meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Last December, about a year after the two countries ended a six-week war, Michel met separately with both leaders and then hosted them both at a dinner event. The talks were held behind closed doors and no statements were issued.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, and during the six-week war, Azerbaijan retook several cities and 300 settlements and villages.

The conflict ended in November 2020 in a Russia-brokered deal that saw Armenia cede swathes of territory it had occupied for decades.

In January, the leaders of the three countries agreed to develop economic ties and infrastructure for the benefit of the entire Caucasus region.