Azerbaijan extended an invitation to Armenian representatives living in Karabakh to meet in Baku, signaling a new phase in the ongoing dialogue about the region. The outreach followed prior discussions held in Khojaly in early March and a formal invitation issued shortly thereafter. The Azerbaijani leadership has made clear that a meeting in Baku is anticipated for the first week of April, with the aim of advancing talks about the reintegration and protection of the Armenian community within Karabakh under the framework of Azerbaijan and regional stability.
According to the Azerbaijani presidential press service, the main objective of the prospective meeting is to address how Armenian residents of Karabakh can be reintegrated into the broader social, political, and economic life of Azerbaijan. While the initiative marks a significant step toward direct engagement, Armenian negotiators indicated they would not participate in a Baku gathering on the stated timeline, underscoring the delicate and evolving nature of the negotiation process and the need for careful preparation and confidence-building measures on all sides.
The stance from Yerevan has been part of a broader pattern in which Armenian officials have urged their international partners to press Azerbaijan to honor commitments related to Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Foreign Ministry officials have repeatedly called for active involvement by allies and partners to ensure that negotiations move beyond rhetoric toward practical outcomes that safeguard rights, security, and meaningful participation for the Karabakh Armenian community within a legal and constitutional framework.
On the Azerbaijani side, senior diplomats and ministers have emphasized that the pathway to reconciliation lies through a candid, online-enabled diplomacy process in which each side articulates its terms and expectations. The dialogue has increasingly relied on formal statements, direct exchanges, and a series of confidence-building steps designed to reduce escalation risks while outlining a concrete schedule for future talks. Observers note that the shift toward online and formal channels reflects a broader trend in regional diplomacy, where time zones and logistical hurdles can complicate face-to-face engagements but do not necessarily erode the commitment to dialogue.
Throughout these exchanges, both sides have stressed their readiness to engage with international mediators and regional powers to support a durable settlement. The evolving negotiation dynamic continues to be shaped by the need to balance security concerns with the cultural and social rights of Armenians living in Karabakh, as well as the constitutional and administrative realities of a united Azerbaijan. Analysts caution that while every invitation signals progress, tangible breakthroughs will require sustained diplomacy, credible guarantees, and mechanisms to monitor implementation and prevent backsliding as the talks unfold.