Before Aliev and Pashinyan meeting, Azeri political analysts discuss prospects for Karabakh settlement

Today Brussels will host a meeting of Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, with Ilham Aliev, the President of Azerbaijan, and Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia. Yerevan and Baku are groping for common ground for a peace agreement, but this may be hampered by separatist sentiments present in the region.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 3, the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to negotiate.

The most efficient way to reconcile Armenia and Azerbaijan is to negotiate based on the principles of the international law, including the respect for the territorial integrity and renunciation of the use of force, Zardusht Alizade, a political analyst, believes.

The issues of ensuring the interests of the Armenian population of Karabakh should be resolved in the context of human rights, based on the standards of democratic countries, he has added.

In order to reach a political agreement, Baku and Yerevan need consultative support from third parties, said Natig Djafarli, the head of the "Respublika" Research Centre.

"There are issues, in which third parties' involvement is a must; for example, when it comes to unblocking transport communications and security thereof. Russia is involved in the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, since it owns the Armenian railways," Mr Djafarli has explained.

Baku and Yerevan are unlikely to agree on a truce without third parties, Tofig Tyurkel, an observer of the "Turan" News Agency, believes. "After the 44-day-long war, Armenia is seeking a 'status' for Karabakh Armenians, while those are insisting on 'independence', which is unacceptable for Baku," Mr Tyurkel has noted.

In his opinion, the Kremlin is defending its interests in the region, and therefore "supports the Karabakh authorities."