Pashinyan and Aliyev meet for the fourth time in Brussels

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met for the fourth time in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday to discuss issues including the release of prisoners of war, clarifying the cases of missing troops, border disputes, lifting restrictions on travel and transport, normalization of relations between the two countries and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The two leaders met under the mediation of Charles Michel, the President of the European Council.

They agreed on negotiations to be further carried on by foreign affairs ministers to draft a peace treaty, and a meeting of the ministers to be held within a month, Armenian newspaper Agos reported, citing Armenian Public Radio.

The next meeting of the Border Security Commission is to be held in November in Brussels, and the leaders will also meet again around the same time, according to the report.

Noting that the meeting has been fruitful, Charles Michel said:

"I want to underline that it is essential for the people of both countries to be able to travel to each other's countries, and it is vital to prepare them for a sustainable peace."

He added:

"The European Union is ready to step up its support for a lasting, sustainable peace. The EU will also continue to encourage and provide support for both countries' progress in economic development."

The first meeting of the two leaders in Brussels was held on 14 December 2021. The following meetings were on 7 April and 23 May.

The leaders had agreed to have border assessment commissions set up in their meeting in May.