Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders expected in Moscow on May 25

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. © Gavriil Grigorov & Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, AP - RFI Editing

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2 min

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he has agreed to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow on Thursday (May 25th). A meeting under the auspices of Vladimir Putin to try to resolve the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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We have received a proposal from Russia to hold a trilateral meeting at the highest level, mediated by the Russian President, on 25 May. We accepted this proposal," Nikol Pashinyan told a government meeting. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has not yet confirmed his attendance.

The announcement comes as tensions between the two countries over control of Nagorno-Karabakh have been high in recent days. On Wednesday, May 17, the Armenian army announced the death of a soldier, wounded by fire from Azerbaijani forces on the border. Last week, an Armenian soldier and an Azerbaijani soldier were also killed.

Intense discussions

International efforts to advance peace are not wavering. In early May, four-day talks were held in Washington between Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations. And on Sunday 14 May, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels for negotiations under the auspices of the European Union.

Initiatives rather frowned upon by Moscow, which will therefore host the meeting of the two leaders. Russia wants to preserve its role as mediator in this conflict that has lasted for many years and has given rise to two wars in just over 30 years. The last one, in 2020, resulted in a landslide victory for Azerbaijan, which recaptured significant territories in and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

Moscow's role was crucial in November 2020 when the ceasefire was concluded and made it possible to permanently establish the Russian military presence in the area.

► READ ALSO: Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan: "The media look elsewhere"

(

With AFP)

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Read on on the same topics:

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Nikol Pashinyan
  • Ilham Aliev
  • Russia
  • Vladimir Poutine