Yesterday, representatives of Azerbaijani civil societies were in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. They met with Armenian representatives, as well as official figures.
Azerbaijan was represented by Farhad Mammadov (Head of the South Caucasus Research Center), Rusif Huseynov (Co-founder and Director of the Topchubashov Center), Ramil Iskandarli (Chairman of the Board of the National NGO Forum), Kamala Mammadova and Dilara Afandiyeva (Head of the Women's Peace and Security Center of the Azerbaijan Women's Rights Protection Society).
From the Armenian side, Areg Kochinyan, Boris Navasardyan, Naira Sultanian, Narek Minasyan, and Samvel Meliksetyan participated in the discussions.
The event was aimed at advancing the peace agenda in line with the spirit of the Joint Statement adopted in Washington on August 8, 2025, and was the first meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society representatives in this format.
Modern.az spoke with the Azerbaijani NGO chairpersons who participated in the meeting.
In a statement to our website, Dilara Afandiyeva stated that the meeting was very productive:
“The goal was to involve civil societies in the peace process and to discuss and identify its directions. Naturally, all work will be carried out within the framework of the joint statement. NGOs should plan and strive to establish cooperation with the Armenian side. Besides this, we must also work with our own society. We have a lot of work to do.
D. Afandiyeva did not rule out the possibility of Armenian representatives also visiting Azerbaijan: “An Armenian delegation will come at some point. However, the date has not yet been determined. Naturally, this process must be reciprocal. This should not be our last meeting. This project should be expanded. Other NGOs will also be included in the process. We are not the only civil society...”
Dilara Afandiyeva stated that they were well received in Yerevan: “Their attitude was also very good. We did not perceive any threats from the people.”
Farhad Mammadov, on the other hand, emphasized that many issues were discussed during the meeting:
“This was a meeting of civil society representatives. Governments also supported the meeting. Both governments made efforts in terms of organization. It was the first time in the last 25-30 years that an Azerbaijani aircraft landed in the capital of Armenia. Many issues were discussed during the meeting. We already meet with experts from Armenia in discussions organized by foreign organizations within the framework of certain international events. However, this meeting took place in a bilateral format. No third party participated here as an organizer or initiator. At the same time, no third party was present at the meeting venue.”
Farhad Mammadov noted that the bilateral format will be preserved:
“After the statement signed at the Washington meeting, such a force has already formed that governments are taking reciprocal steps. Joint activity has been ensured to a certain extent. A historical situation has emerged where discussions and the organization of joint activities at the level of civil society, experts, and media are relevant to a certain extent. In such a case, by evaluating this period, such a step was taken. It is hoped that the process will be continuous. The organization of such meetings will become the norm. The bilateral format will be preserved.”
