On July 10, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in the United Arab Emirates to discuss peace talks after decades of conflict, but no negotiated breakthrough was announced from either leader. The meeting involved ongoing discussions between the countries regarding the “inter-state normalisation agenda” and the “border delimitation process,” with both countries having finalised draft peace deals focused on these issues back in March.
In the final statements released by the countries’ foreign ministers, there was no mention of substantial or concrete development regarding the peace negotiations. According to a press release from the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “It was confirmed bilateral negotiations represent the most efficient format to address all issues concerning the normalisation process, and on this basis, it was agreed to continue such result-oriented dialogue.” The statement also noted that both leaders “agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and confidence building measures between the two countries.”
Peace talks between the two countries have historically been insufficient or have fallen through for a variety of reasons. In this case, there is a constitutional obstacle to establishing an official peace deal as Azerbaijan demands Armenia amend its constitution, which it asserts makes implicit claims to Azerbaijani territory in its preamble. The language refers to a 1990 declaration of independence—established when both countries were still part of the Soviet Union—that calls for the “reunification of Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast,” which at the time was under the jurisdiction of Soviet Azerbaijan. Although Pashinyan denies this as an objective claim to the territory, he has stated that the country’s founding document needs to be updated regardless. Thus, if Armenia successfully holds a referendum to change its constitution, it may open an opportunity to address this regional conflict and solidify a conclusion. The critical blockade in progression toward peace is primarily rooted in border skirmishes and territorial disputes throughout the area. As such, the claim to land is an incredibly sensitive geopolitical subject and must be handled diplomatically.
The two South Caucasus countries have engaged in a series of wars and regional conflicts beginning in the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, the former Armenian enclave located within the territory of Azerbaijan, broke away to form a sovereign republic with support from Armenia. After Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh in a military offensive in September 2023, resulting in an exodus of the region’s 100,000 Armenians, negotiations to alleviate border tensions and political conflicts emerged between the leaders. In past years, discussions between the two countries were largely facilitated by E.U.-mediated talks, but recently the leaders have participated in diplomatic conversations to reach bilateral negotiations without the need for European oversight. At the very least, this signifies that positive developments, while small, are possible between two countries with a history of persistent combat and disagreement.
While this week’s discussion between Armenia and Azerbaijan achieved no breakthrough, it simply reveals the diplomatic potential the leaders from two warring countries can have. The violence and displacement caused by previous military disputes may finally come to an end as long as both leaders can pledge to maintain this negotiation system. Going forward, Armenia will possibly hold a nation-wide referendum to amend its constitution. Not only can this action work to appease Azerbaijan by removing outdated language and hindering future conflict, but it can simultaneously help Armenia to further progress its statehood and continue the nation’s trajectory toward an independent, sovereign chapter of its post-Soviet history.
