Azerbaijani FM reveals details of Aliyev–Pashinyan contacts since 2018
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has shared new details about the interactions between President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan since the latter assumed office in 2018.
In an interview with İTV, Bayramov recalled that the first meeting between the two leaders took place in September 2018 in Dushanbe, where President Aliyev underlined the importance of resolving the Karabakh conflict, News.Az reports.
According to the minister, Pashinyan initially appeared constructive, telling President Aliyev: “I have just come to power; I will take the necessary steps to resolve the conflict.”
Following the Dushanbe meeting, a direct communication line was established between Azerbaijan and Armenia to swiftly address any potential incidents. President Aliyev also instructed the Ministry of Defense to ensure calm and stability along the entire line of contact.
However, Bayramov noted that Pashinyan later changed his approach, citing personal security concerns. “If I take steps to resolve the conflict, I will be killed. Do you want me to be killed?” Pashinyan reportedly said. The Azerbaijani president, Bayramov added, assured him that Azerbaijan harboured no ill will toward anyone.
The foreign minister went on to recall that in 2019, Pashinyan made the provocative statement: “Karabakh is Armenia, period.” He also referred to developments in July 2020, when Armenia adopted a new national security concept that enshrined the results of the First Karabakh War and honoured servicemen involved in the killing of Azerbaijani General Polad Hashimov.
“The subsequent call for Azerbaijan to negotiate with members of the so-called ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’ effectively dismantled the existing negotiation framework,” Bayramov added.
Similar news
