Leaders Strive for Peace: Armenia and Azerbaijan Meeting in UAE

In a significant diplomatic move, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are scheduled to meet in the United Arab Emirates this Thursday. The meeting aims to finalize a peace agreement after nearly four decades of conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has seen a series of wars since the late 1980s.

Earlier this year, both countries announced a draft peace deal, though the timeline for signing remains uncertain. While reports of ceasefire violations surged post-announcement, no recent incidents have been recorded. The upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi marks the first formal discussion between the two leaders since agreeing on the draft text.

The peace process gained momentum after Azerbaijan reasserted control over Karabakh in September 2023, leading nearly all ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia. However, challenges persist, such as Azerbaijan's demand for constitutional changes in Armenia and a proposed transport corridor through Armenian territory, linking Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan.

(With inputs from agencies.)