Pashinyan and Aliyev Blame Each Other Over Missed Talks at European Summit

At the European Political Community summit held at Blenheim Palace in central England, Armenia and Azerbaijan found themselves in disagreement over failed diplomatic talks. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were both in attendance, alongside many European leaders.

The conflict came up when Hikmet Hajiyev, a senior aide to President Aliyev, accused Prime Minister Pashinyan of rejecting an offer from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to host talks between the two leaders. Hajiyev claimed that Yerevan is withdrawing from dialogue and showing a lack of commitment to promoting a peace agenda.

In response, Armenia's Foreign Ministry, represented by spokeswoman Ani Badalyan, denied these allegations. Badalyan stated that Armenia had proposed a bilateral meeting at the summit, but it was Azerbaijan that turned down the offer. She emphasized that Armenia remains ready to intensify high-level negotiations and aims to sign a peace agreement within a month.

This exchange of accusations shows the persistent tension between the two countries. President Aliyev has stated that a peace deal depends on Armenia changing its constitution, which he claims includes territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Last month, Armenia's Foreign Ministry rejected this precondition, accusing Aliyev of sabotaging the peace process.

Recent talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Washington, hosted by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, did not result in significant progress. A US State Department spokesman noted that Washington is urging both sides to make the difficult decisions and tough compromises necessary for an agreement but did not provide further details.

Despite the lack of direct talks at the European Political Community summit, both sides continue to publicly assert their willingness to engage in dialogue. Armenia's proposal for a meeting remains open, and the international community, including the US, continues to push for a resolution.