Leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan agree to meet for Brussels summit, say reports

dpa Moscow After renewed heavy fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent weeks, both sides appear to have accepted a proposal to meet...

dpaMoscowAfter renewed heavy fighting on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent weeks, both sides appear to have accepted a proposal to meet for mediation talks at the highest level.The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in Baku said on Saturday that President Ilham Aliyev was prepared to meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on December 15 in Brussels. Armenia has also reportedly agreed to the meeting. According to Brussels, the meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the so-called EU Eastern Partnership summit, is being held at the initiative of EU Council President Charles Michel.At the beginning of the week, the situation on the border between the two former Soviet republics escalated again, leaving over 10 people dead in total.Armenia has also accused its neighbour of capturing around a dozen of its soldiers. The situation has subsequently eased, however.Since last year’s war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, there have been repeated skirmishes between the two sides. The latest outburst of fighting is raising worries, just a year after the two sides fought a bloody war that ended up with Azerbaijan reclaiming large parts of Nagarno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that Armenia had controlled for decades, following a much earlier bout of fighting.Azerbaijan’s forces, supported by Turkey, surprised Armenia with their ferocity. Thousands died in weeks of fighting, which only ended when Russia brokered a ceasefire. Political ramifications continue in Armenia, where many would have preferred that the government keep fighting for control of the territory.Renewed fighting has continued to break out sporadically, despiteRussian monitoring.