The Bishkek meeting shows that the peace process between Baku and Yerevan has shifted to a practical stage, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. He said that the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Bishkek is of great importance in terms of continuing direct political dialogue in the process of Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization. According to Garayev, the Bishkek meeting should be assessed not as a separate political event, but as a continuation of the direct dialogue mechanism that has recently been formed between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"One of the main points is that Baku and Yerevan are expanding the opportunities for direct discussion of the peace agenda. This is important in terms of the parties determining the future of their relations independently of the geopolitical interests of external mediators. Direct dialogue can both accelerate decision-making and allow for more operational discussion of issues arising between the parties.
When assessing the political background of the Bishkek meeting, it's also necessary to take into account the results of the Peace Summit held in Washington on August 8, 2025. After the initialing of the agreed text of the peace agreement, the main issue is the practical implementation of the political agreements reached. That is, the process no longer consists only of negotiations around the text of the peace agreement.
Now the main focus is on creating real results of normalization. In this regard, the export of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, the transit of cargo from third countries through the territory of Azerbaijan to Armenia, and the gradual formation of trade relations between the two countries are of particular importance. These can be assessed as real 'peace dividends'.
As people and business structures see the concrete economic benefits of peace, the social and economic foundations of the normalization process are also strengthened," the analyst noted. Garayev pointed out that the expansion of economic and energy cooperation can also affect the formation of mutual trust in political relations. "Long-term peace is not ensured only by political documents.
It must be backed by mutual economic interests, trade relations, transport communications, and cooperation between business circles. The expansion of direct contacts between Azerbaijani and Armenian business representatives is especially important in this sense. Business relations, unlike political relations, are built more on mutual benefit and pragmatic interests.
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