Commentary on the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia organized by the President of the European Council on May 14, 2023

We consider the fifth meeting in this format between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia organized by the President of the European Council on May 14 to be useful and result-oriented in terms of advancing the normalization agenda between the two countries.

First and foremost, re-convening the meeting in the "Brussels format", which was interrupted for almost 9 months due to various attempts to interfere and set conditions, is important in terms of promoting dialogue between the parties at the highest level.

A detailed exchange took place during the meeting in order to reach concrete results on drafting of the bilateral peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the delimitation of borders, and the restoration of communications.

The principled position of Azerbaijan regarding the securing of peace and stability in the region was once again brought to the attention of the interlocutors. In particular, once again confirmation of respect for the territorial integrity of the states, and in this context, acceptance of the internationally recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan by Armenia are of extreme importance as well.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss humanitarian issues crucial for post-conflict normalization. In this context, the importance of clarifying the fate of missing persons and speeding up steps in demining was emphasized once again.

We declare that the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia based on mutual recognition and respect of each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international borders is the only way to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

In this context, we welcome the efforts to achieve progress for the normalization of relations and reaffirm our readiness to continue dialogue and interaction with international partners pursuing this goal.