The meeting held on February 4 in Abu Dhabi between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is regarded as a significant political development indicating that the peace process in the region has entered a new phase. Reports about a planned referendum in Armenia emerging immediately after the meeting demonstrate that the talks have directly affected Yerevan’s domestic political agenda.
Commenting on the issue, political analyst Ahmad Shahidov told ARB24 TV that the Abu Dhabi meeting sent a clear message to the international community: “This meeting showed the entire world that Azerbaijan and Armenia are capable of holding direct talks and reaching agreements without any mediators. It proves that the peace process has entered a mature and practical stage.”
According to Ahmad Shahidov, the referendum debate that surfaced in Armenia following the meeting indicates that the signing of a peace treaty may accelerate: “The fact that internal political decisions in Yerevan are becoming more active at this stage suggests that the signing of a peace agreement is turning into a more realistic and much closer prospect.”
