Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan Meets Turkish Counterpart in Geneva Following Canceled Talks with Azerbaijan

Armenia’s National Assembly Speaker, Alen Simonyan, met with his Turkish counterpart, Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, in Geneva on Monday. This meeting was part of the ongoing discussions between Armenia and Turkey regarding regional relations and took place during the latest session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). However, a planned meeting between Simonyan and Azerbaijan’s parliament speaker, Sahiba Gafarova, was canceled at the last minute.

The meeting between Simonyan and Kurtulmuş is another step in the recent resumption of diplomatic contact between Armenia’s current government and Turkey. Relations between the two countries have been strained for decades due to Turkey’s ongoing denial of the Armenian genocide and support for Azerbaijan’s occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, efforts have been made in recent years to improve ties. 

The Armenian parliament’s press secretary, Movses Harutyunyan, confirmed the meeting in Geneva and noted its significance in the context of ongoing regional peace efforts. While no specific details were immediately provided about the discussions, it is expected that the two sides addressed issues related to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. In recent months, Ankara has resumed direct talks with Yerevan but continues to emphasize that any improvement in relations will depend on the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In a surprising move, Sahiba Gafarova, the Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Mejlis (National Assembly), canceled her scheduled meeting with Alen Simonyan at the last minute. The cancellation was first reported by Movses Harutyunyan, who stated that no immediate explanation was given by the Azerbaijani side for the abrupt decision.

Harutyunyan announced that Simonyan would provide further clarification about the reasons for the cancellation upon his return to Yerevan. This news comes during ongoing challenges in the peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with both sides struggling to agree on key issues related to a potential bilateral peace treaty.

Simonyan and Gafarova had previously met twice in Geneva this year, in March and May, during earlier IPU sessions. Those meetings were described as constructive, raising hopes for progress in the peace process. However, the cancellation of the latest meeting shows the current impasse in negotiations between the two nations.