The latest round of peace talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan ended Thursday in Abu Dhabi without any breakthrough in their decades-long conflict over the South Caucasus region.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met to push forward negotiations on a peace treaty, following Azerbaijan’s full recapture of the disputed Karabakh province last year. While both sides had agreed in principle to the wording of a peace deal in March, Thursday’s meeting yielded no timeline for its finalization.

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Instead, both leaders reiterated their commitment to continue dialogue on key issues, including border demarcation and confidence-building measures. In a joint statement, the two nations said they would stay engaged in bilateral talks despite the lack of immediate progress.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have remained in conflict since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control of Karabakh. A six-week war in 2020 saw Azerbaijan reclaim significant territory, and a swift military operation in September 2023 led to Karabakh’s capitulation and further handovers of border villages by Armenia.

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Tensions have also escalated within Armenia. Many citizens oppose recent territorial concessions, particularly in the Syunik region, where Azerbaijan seeks a land corridor to its Nakhichevan exclave. Protests erupted last year, prompting the Armenian government to arrest opposition figures, including two senior archbishops accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Despite the challenges, both sides say they remain committed to resolving the conflict through peaceful negotiations.

Source: Agency