The President Of Azerbaijan Spoke About A Secret Meeting Between German And Russian Officials In Baku

• 21.07.2026, 18:55

A closed-door meeting took place a week ago.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed that a closed-door meeting between representatives of Germany and Russia took place in Baku a week ago, according to Bloomberg.

“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 did indeed take place,” — Aliyev said in Berlin at a joint press conference with Friedrich Merz.

According to the Azerbaijani Border Service, on July 12, the former head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office, Ronald Pofalla, and the former governor of Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck, arrived in the country.

Shortly after them, close associates of Vladimir Putin — former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeev.

Aliyev emphasized that neither Moscow nor Berlin had officially notified Baku of the talks.

“If this meeting was intended to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, we can only welcome it,” — Aliyev said. He added that the meeting took place on July 12–14.

“I know nothing about any such meeting,” Merz replied in turn when asked about it by a journalist.