Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan are holding a meeting in Geneva.
The talks were organized by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.
The meeting of the presidents is being held in the presence of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.
The chairman of the Izborsk club, famous writer Alexander Prokhanov, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the meeting that renewed the presidential talks, which were interrupted more than one year ago. is extremely important for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "I think when the leaders of hostile states meet, this is a sure sign that they are seeking reconciliation. I believe that both see the benefits from the cessation of conflict, which is absolutely in line with justice," he said.
"Armenians have very little resources, they cannot wage permanent war, this war drains them, and Azerbaijanis lost territories in this war. I think that these two motivations make them seek reconciliation. A compromise can be found by signing if not a peace agreement, then a truce with the return of the regions to Azerbaijan," Alexander Prokhanov expects.
A political analyst, Candidate of Historical Sciences Oleg Kuznetsov expressed confidence that Serzh Sargsyan will once again try to stall the talks on the topic of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. "We should not forget that serious political changes took place in Armenia, after which the Karabakh clan of Serzh Sargsyan has strongly strengthened. And it means that he will have more objective opportunities to defend his position thanks to his more stable position within Armenia," the expert said.
"Therefore, I think he can put forward or put on the agenda issues that are unacceptable for Baku. In fact, it would be the best option for him now - to put forward obviously unacceptable conditions, and then accuse Azerbaijan that these conditions were not even considered. Ilham Aliyev's position at the talks is always clear, so he will continue to adhere to it in the future. In connection with the combination of these two factors, one can expect negative results of the meeting in the form of strengthening of Yerevan's position in negotiations or discrediting of these talks," Oleg Kuznetsov predicts.
