Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders to meet in Brussels

BAKU: The Azerbaijani side agreed
to the EU’s offer to hold a meeting of
the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, the press service of the republic’s Foreign Ministry reported on Saturday. “The Azerbaijani side is always open to political dialogue and treats such contacts positively. In this context, the Azerbaijani side agreed to the offer of the head
of the European Council to organize a meeting of the leaders of the two countries (Azerbaijan and Armenia) with the EU’s mediation within the framework of the Brussels summit,” the statement on the ministry’s website said.
The press service specified that Azerbaijan’s position in the post-conflict period was repeatedly expressed by the country’s President Ilham Aliyev, including on international venues. “We think that the Brussels summit and the meeting planned within its framework will create additional opportunities in this sphere,” the statement stressed. On Friday, the European Council issued a statement on an agreement of its President Charles Michel with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to meet in Brussels within the framework of the Eastern Partnership summit on December 15 “to discuss the regional situation and ways of overcoming tensions for a prosperous and stable South Caucasus.”.
On the other hands, Armenian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is
ready to hold a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels on December 15, Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vahan Hunanyan said on Saturday. “Armenia is poised to hold such a meeting,” he said. On Friday, the European Council said in a press release that its President Charles Michel had reached an agreement with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister
Nikol Pashinyan to hold a meeting in
Brussels on the sidelines of the East-
ern Partnership summit on December 15. Earlier on Saturday, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry confirmed that Aliyev had agreed to take part in the meeting.