Details of 27 September Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in Washington D.C. allegedly leaked

The Azerbaijani delegation led by Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev meets with the Armenian delegation led by Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and as organised by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C. on 27 September 2022 © U.S. State Department 

Earlier today, Armenian media reported that the pro-Russian Силовики Telegram channel had shared what it claims to be the text of what was agreed by Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan and Azerbaijani Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev on 27 September in Washington D.C. when they met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. 

The authenticity of the document has not been confirmed but it does appear to resemble what we believe are issues currently under discussion. Moreover, the document appears to be written by a native English speaker. That doesn’t make it genuine, of course, but certainly means its accuracy is worth considering. Of particular interest in the document is the reference to Baku-Stepanakert dialogue.

This is something I have long been arguing for and recently raised this in a question to the International Crisis Group’s Zaur Shiriyev during a 27th September webinar. Reference to a ‘discussion mechanism’ between the ethnic Armenian population and Baku was also included in the official Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement following the 2 October meeting of the two foreign ministers in Geneva, Switzerland.

This is also potentially relevant given the announcement following the 6 October meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and European Council President Charles Michel in Prague of a European Union civilian monitoring mission to be deployed within Armenia on its border with Azerbaijan. The duration of that mission was announced as being for a maximum of two months as well.

Nonetheless, the document is unconfirmed and unverified, so do treat with caution, but it does make for interesting reading given that its content sounds plausible and credible enough. My own sources tell me that Baku is satisfied with what informal communication has been occurring with the Karabakh Armenians, and most recently even a semi-official arrangement over the Sarsang reservoir. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also held phone calls with Aliyev and Pashinyan today. A definite timeline as well as the need to facilitate communication between Baku and Stepanakert again featured. “He underlined the importance of discussions about the rights and securities for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and the need for both sides to maintain the cease-fire and focus on a negotiated agreement as the only path to a lasting peace,” media reported.

Commitments of the Parties at Trilateral Talks
Washington D.C.
September 27, 2022

The parties committed to the following:

• The parties’ foreign ministers will begin time-bound, text-based negotiations to complete a peace agreement by the end of the calendar year.

• Representatives of the delimitation committee with complete delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijan international border in parallel with peace negotiations to be done by the end of the calendar year. 

• The Government of Azerbaijan will nominate a representative to work with a similar representative designated by the Armenian ethnic community in Nagorno-Karabakh to conduct discussions on the rights and securities for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. Representatives will provide to the international community on their discussions. The parties will continue to review the role of an international observer, without prejudice to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, to provide confidence regarding protections for minority groups in Nagorno-Karabakh.

• The parties committed to remain engaged in discussions to establish a route connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchevan, including reciprocal access for Armenia through Azerbaijan.

   

• All detainees taken during September 2022 violence will be released without precondition in the coming days.

As host of the discussions between the parties, the United States:

 

• Noted that it counted on the parties to ensure that there would no revival of violence and expected the parties to focus on progress in talks to conclude by the end of the year.