Does Azerbaijan say 'goodbye' to Brussels format?

On November 4, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbok embarked on a diplomatic mission to Azerbaijan, where she engaged in a series of high-level meetings and discussions aimed at fostering peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus region. During her visit, she met with her Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, as well as President Ilham Aliyev and representatives of civil society in Azerbaijan.

A key highlight of Minister Berbok's visit was her expression of Germany's willingness to act as a mediator in the ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The region has been marred by conflict for decades, most recently culminating in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Minister Berbok's statement comes as a significant development in international efforts to resolve the longstanding dispute.

Furthermore, Minister Berbok voiced her support for the Brussels platform, an initiative backed by the European Union. This platform aims to facilitate diplomatic dialogue between the parties involved in the South Caucasus conflict.

President Aliyev welcomed the German Foreign Minister and expressed Azerbaijan's commitment to regional cooperation among South Caucasus countries. However, the question of whether Azerbaijan would return to the Brussels format, which comprises diplomatic meetings with the involvement of the European Union and other regional actors, remained unclear following the discussions.

Elman Nasirov, a Member of the Milli Majlis Committee on international relations and Inter-Parliamentary Relations, shed light on the situation in an interview with Turan,  stating that Germany views the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia within the framework of the Brussels format, with the mediation of the European Union. Notably, Germany and France had been absent from this process, but Germany has now entered the Brussels format.

Nasirov explained President Aliyev's stance, stating that the regional format, particularly the 3+3 format, which includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, is acceptable to Azerbaijan. Two meetings in this format have already taken place, although Georgia has not attended.

The Committee member noted that Azerbaijan once valued the Brussels format until France's participation altered its dynamics due to France's perceived anti-Azerbaijani position. This change led President Aliyev to decline meetings held in Spain and Brussels under the Brussels format.

According to Nasirov, the 3+3 format members share an interest in ensuring peace in the region, emphasizing the consequences of regional instability. He pointed out that Iran does not want Western intervention in the region, and Russia shares similar concerns.

Elkhan Shahinoglu, head of the Atlas Research Center, in an interview with Radio Azadlig,  emphasized the importance of cooperation with Germany, considering it one of the leading countries in the European Union. He noted that Germany recognized Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory and expressed readiness to cooperate on mine clearance during Minister Berbok's visit.

Shahinoglu opined that there is no need for a mediator to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, citing the ineffectiveness of the Brussels format due to France's position and the potential pitfalls of the Moscow format. Instead, he advocated for the Georgian format, where both Azerbaijan and Armenia are awaiting a response from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Minister Berbok's meeting with representatives of civil society in Azerbaijan was seen as a message underscoring the importance of strengthening civil institutions in the country, according to Shahinoglu.

It should be noted that French officials emphasized their interest in ending the violence and establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. -0-