Abu Dhabi meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders ^{CEFR B2}

On July 10 in Abu Dhabi Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held their first unmediated bilateral meeting. The talks followed an agreement in principle announced in March on the terms of a peace deal. Both leaders said that bilateral negotiations represent the most efficient format to address the normalization process.

Officials kept many details private, though the Azerbaijan Press Agency said discussions covered border delimitation, the opening and development of the Zangezur corridor, the initialing of a peace agreement, and other issues. The draft peace deal reportedly includes major concessions by Armenia, such as removing EU monitors from the border and dropping lawsuits in international courts. Azerbaijan also sought constitutional changes tied to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, and Prime Minister Pashinyan supports a new constitution by referendum planned for 2027.

The proposed Zangezur Corridor remains a central dispute: Armenia rejects the corridor name and refuses to cede control of the 32-kilometre route. On July 11 the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, described a possible US role in managing the road. The International Crisis Group has said transport modalities remain central to the process. The talks underline a shifting regional balance: Moscow has been diplomatically restrained and analysts say Russian influence is waning. Domestic politics in Armenia, the detention of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, and public disputes between Baku and Moscow over events such as the 25 December 2024 plane crash add further uncertainty. The Abu Dhabi meeting was a breakthrough, but many political and diplomatic hurdles remain before a lasting agreement can be finalised.