On July 21, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dropped a bombshell revelation, alleging that a secret meeting between Russia and Germany took place in Azerbaijan from July 12 to 14 to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, as reported by Lenta.ru. The Azerbaijani president made these disclosures in front of German Chancellor Merz, who watched on stunned before issuing an awkward denial shortly thereafter.
According to Aliyev, the negotiations between representatives from Moscow and Berlin were conducted covertly without Baku's prior knowledge. Russian media reports indicate that the unofficial German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former Chief of Staff of Angela Merkel's Chancellery, and Matthias Platzeck, former Minister-President of Brandenburg. Russia was represented by Valery Fadeyev, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, former Prime Minister of Russia and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Gazprom.
Aliyev bombshell: Secret negotiation between Russia and Germany took place in Azerbaijan
Specifically, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dropped a bombshell by alleging secret negotiations between Germany and Russia regarding Ukraine. According to the Azerbaijani leader, the meeting took place in Baku between July 12 and July 14. Former high-ranking officials participated in the diplomatic meeting.
According to media reports, the unofficial German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former Chief of Staff of Angela Merkel's Chancellery, and Matthias Platzeck, former Minister-President of Brandenburg. Russia was represented by Valery Fadeyev, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, former Prime Minister of Russia and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Gazprom.
"The meeting took place without the knowledge of Azerbaijani authorities"
According to Aliyev, the negotiations between representatives from Moscow and Berlin were conducted covertly without Baku's knowledge. "Our territory was used for such a meeting without our knowledge (...) I cannot comment on the details, as we were not present at the meeting. However, flight data allows me to confirm that a secret meeting in Baku indeed took place," Aliyev explained during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The leader of Azerbaijan assured that he welcomes such contacts if they can lead to an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Merz, however, stated that he knew nothing about such a meeting. Nevertheless, he pointed out that Europe remains open to diplomatic negotiations with Russia over Ukraine.
Russia explained the rationale behind the meeting
The secret meeting, which has now drawn widespread public attention, may have been organized to advance the negotiation process regarding Ukraine, according to Svetlana Zhurova, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. The lawmaker also conceded that Aliyev's statement was primarily aimed at a Western audience.
"Obviously, he said this for the West—for those who will now begin to condemn him and ask how he could allow this to happen. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not hide it. He says he is ready to offer his platform, his country, for such talks if it proves beneficial," Zhurova pointed out.
Kremlin: Aliyev's stance on the Ukraine conflict highly problematic
For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Azerbaijan's stance regarding the conflict in Ukraine remains a point of disagreement with Russia. "Regarding the position expressed by [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev, there are a number of countries with which we maintain close relations that share this view. It is a position with which we categorically disagree, and yes, this is a subject of our disagreement," noted Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary for the President of Russia.
Peskov noted that Russia adheres to a pragmatic approach and does not believe that disagreements should "cast shadows" over bilateral relations between countries. He added that Moscow will consistently continue explaining its position on Ukraine to government officials in Baku.
Aliyev's fatal misstep - Gave Germany an unexpected tool to bypass Russian gas
Meanwhile, Germany aims to reach an agreement with Azerbaijan to increase energy supplies, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced at a press conference in Berlin following talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which was broadcast by German television network Phoenix. "Given that we halted gas supplies from Russia 4.5 years ago, we are naturally searching for new supply sources, and Azerbaijan plays a vital role here," stated Friedrich Merz. According to him, during the meeting with Ilham Aliyev, they discussed the possibility of even larger gas purchases from Azerbaijan. As the German Chancellor emphasized, this is a matter of mutual agreement between the two countries and will form the subject of further negotiations with the republic.
On July 21, during a meeting in Berlin, Ilham Aliyev and Friedrich Merz signed a joint declaration establishing a strategic agenda for their bilateral partnership. Furthermore, the two leaders signed a declaration establishing the German-Azerbaijani Economic Council. Previously, Friedrich Merz admitted that rejecting Russian gas supplies had led Germany into a prolonged energy crisis. The Chancellor also noted that Germany finds itself in a "difficult position" regarding the US, as Washington no longer provides NATO with the same level of support it guaranteed for decades. Friedrich Merz pointed out that at the start of his chancellorship he began with "different assumptions," but persistent systemic problems fundamentally altered the geopolitical situation.
www.bankingnews.gr
Σχόλια αναγνωστών