Grigoryan–Mustafayev talks in Armenia: key takeaways
Grigoryan and Mustafayev meet in Armenia
On 29 April, the 13th meeting of the Armenian–Azerbaijani border delimitation commissions was held in the Armenian town of Aghveran. An Azerbaijani delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev arrived in Armenia to take part in the talks.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said the sides discussed issues of mutual interest.
“The sides, with the participation of representatives of the business communities, also discussed issues related to the development of trade and economic cooperation, mutual supplies of goods and services, as well as transit shipments,” the statement said.
However, even before the official readout was published, journalists spotted a Rolls-Royce car belonging to prominent Armenian businessman Samvel Aleksanyan among vehicles leaving the venue. This prompted speculation about the involvement of business figures in the discussions. According to one local TV channel, the possibility of exporting sugar to Azerbaijan had previously been discussed with Aleksanyan, although the businessman has not confirmed this.
Delegation led by Shahin Mustafayev leaves hotel in Aghveran where talks were held
Deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan — Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev — last met on 28 November 2025. For the first time since the commissions began work in 2022, the sides held the meeting on one of their territories — in the Azerbaijani city of Gabala. The vice-premiers agreed then to hold their next meeting in a city in Armenia.
The visit of the delegation led by Shahin Mustafayev to Armenia was not announced in advance.
In the morning, Azerbaijani media reported that a plane carrying the delegation had already landed at Yerevan airport. Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan later confirmed this but gave no further details.
Armenian journalists later established that the meeting was taking place in Aghveran. However, security officers barred journalists from approaching the hotel where the talks were taking place, saying they had not been invited and that a closed event was underway.
- Yerevan vox pops: what residents say on peace with Azerbaijan
- ‘On security, we are in the same boat’: Armenian experts on visit to Azerbaijan
- Pashinyan and Aliyev receive the Zayed Prize for Peace Efforts – why it matters
Armenia MFA readout: key outcomes of Grigoryan–Mustafayev talks
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia issued a press statement immediately after the talks, saying the sides exchanged views on organisational and technical issues related to the delimitation process.
They also agreed and exchanged draft texts of the next instructions on the procedure for carrying out delimitation work:
- procedures for the work of expert groups;
- creation of a delimitation map of the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
- formalisation and publication of delimitation documents.
Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev also highlighted the continued transit of goods through Azerbaijan to Armenia:
“It was noted with satisfaction that Azerbaijan supplies petroleum products to Armenia, which is an indication of the establishment of trade and economic ties between the two countries.”
The statement stresses that this is possible due to the “political will” of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
From Moscow and Brussels to border meetings: outcomes of previous talks
The first meeting of the delimitation commission co-chairs took place nearly four years ago, on 24 May 2022. Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev met on the interstate border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, agreeing to use various venues for future meetings.
The second meeting was hosted by Russia in Moscow, and the third by the European Council in Brussels. All subsequent meetings were held on the Armenian–Azerbaijani border.
In 2024, the sides agreed on joint regulations for the commissions and carried out delimitation and demarcation along the Tavush–Gazakh section of the border.
They also agreed to “continue the process of demarcating all remaining sections of the border, including issues related to enclaves and exclaves.”
No progress at Armenia–Azerbaijan–Georgia border junction
On the northern section — where the borders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia meet — no progress has been observed so far.
At their 11th meeting on 16 January 2025, Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev agreed to continue the delimitation process from the north. They said work would start at the tri-border point and proceed southwards to the Armenia–Azerbaijan border with Iran.
The statement following the meeting in Gabala also reflected this, but no concrete steps have followed.
Following a summit in Washington on 8 August 2025 — where the sides agreed to unblock communications along the so-called “Trump Route” (TRIPP) — there were discussions about resuming delimitation in southern Armenia. This concerns Syunik Province, where a road is expected to link Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan. However, no tangible progress has followed there either.
Two-year pause in delimitation process
On 30 August 2024, Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev signed regulations on the joint work of the delimitation commissions. A few months later, the document was ratified — first in Armenia, then in Azerbaijan. It entered into force on 1 November 2024.
So far, only a 12.6-kilometre section of the border has been demarcated. Notably, this work was carried out before the regulations were signed and ratified. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the process as a “pilot”.
Border posts have been installed along the Tavush–Gazakh section. Border guard units from both countries — rather than regular armed forces — are deployed along this stretch.
Grigoryan–Mustafayev talks in Yerevan
