The discussions between the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia, which lasted about five hours at the initiative of Charles Michel on 14 December, were held in a constructive atmosphere, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said making a speech at the 6th Eastern Partnership Summit of the European Union.
The President thanked the President of the European Council for keeping regional issues on the agenda and for his contribution to and support for these processes. He noted that the discussions between the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia, which lasted about five hours at the initiative of Charles Michel on 14 December, were held in a constructive atmosphere. President Ilham Aliyev stressed Charles Michel's contribution to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He also noted that the talks initiated by Charles Michel had been very tangible and detailed. The parties discussed issues such as the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the delimitation and demarcation of borders, the construction of transport infrastructure, especially railways.
At the 6th Eastern Partnership Summit, President Ilham Aliyev noted the constructive atmosphere between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing the role of the European Union in creating such an environment. The head of state stressed the importance of not missing this opportunity and continuing efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region, taking advantage of the opportunity.
The head of state stressed that the Armenian leadership had usually made baseless and accusatory statements against Azerbaijan during international events in previous years. This time, President Ilham Aliyev praised the absence of such a situation, noting that he, in turn, had not spoken directly against Armenia. The head of state said that this provided a fertile ground for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev noted that it is necessary to look to the future.
President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon the role of the OSCE Minsk Group, noting that the talks held for 28 years had not yielded any results. He said that Azerbaijan expected a response from the OSCE Minsk Group in accordance with the new geopolitical reality. The head of state noted that the Azerbaijani side believed that the Minsk Group could contribute to the preparation of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the delimitation of borders, the establishment of contacts between people, confidence-building measures and other issues.
