The Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev has received Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for normalisation of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations Igor Khovaev, according to the press service of the President of Azerbaijan.

The issues of normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, delimitation and demarcation of borders, and preparation of a peace agreement between the two countries on the basis of 5 principles presented by the Azerbaijani side were discussed at the meeting.

President Aliyev highlighted the composition of the Azerbaijani delegation for the preparation of a peace agreement and the Azerbaijani National Commission for the delimitation and demarcation of borders between the two countries, noting that the country is ready for talks with Armenia.

Also, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs from the United States and France did not send signals to the Russian side about their willingness to resume work on this mechanism in order to achieve a comprehensive peace between Baku and Yerevan. "We haven't gotten any such signals. We don't anticipate them," she remarked recently. By refusing to cooperate with Russia, the two nations effectively halted "the formerly well-coordinated work of the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group."

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that a special envoy has been established to support restoration of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. She stated that Baku's basic principles for the creation of interstate ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which Yerevan agreed were acceptable with minor changes, will serve as the foundation for the start of Azerbaijani-Armenian peace treaty discussions.

"Russia is committed to seeing that a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku is signed," she stated. She also added that Igor Khovaev (Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict) will serve as the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs' special representative to support restoration of ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Furthermore, Toivo Klaar, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, met recently with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, was also present during the meeting.

The Prime Minister emphasised the significance of Armenia-EU collaboration and complimented President of the European Council Charles Michel's efforts to build regional stability, which, together with the work of other international partners, contribute to regional discussion. Nikol Pashinyan expressed pleasure with the provision of €2.6 billion to Armenia under the EU's Eastern Partnership economic-investment plan and the execution of development programmes in the country, reaffirming Armenia's commitment to the agenda of democratic reforms.

Moreover, the railway and highway link between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, according to President Ilham Aliyev, must be clarified with Armenia. On April 19, he made the statements while receiving a group led by Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Georgian Crisis

"Communications with Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is one of the topics that have to be discussed with the Armenian side," he stated.

On 19 April, Moscow and Yerevan agreed to continue "constructive work within the framework of regular meetings of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armeni,a and Russia and the implementation of the agreements of the three leaders of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021 in the interests of ensuring stability, security, and economic development of the region.” This is mentioned in a joint statement issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after their April 19 meeting in Moscow.