The latest round of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Berlin, on February 28-29, ended without any tangible results, as many observers had predicted.

The talks, facilitated by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, were held over two days between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov. They were joined by Elchin Amirbayov, a special representative of the Azerbaijani president, indicating a lack of trust in Foreign Minister Bayramov’s ability to negotiate on his own.

Armenian journalists claimed that parallel discussions were taking place between advisors of the Armenian PM and Azerbaijani president, further sidelining Bayramov. This brings into question the outsized influence of Hikmat Hajiyev, a controversial senior aide to the Azerbaijani president, who has allegedly disrupted negotiations in the past to strengthen his own position.

The messy, two-track process has complicated and confused the peace process. Tensions remain high along the border, with recent casualties on both sides and the apprehension of an Azerbaijani soldier by Armenian forces during an alleged diversion attempt.

Experts say the lack of progress demonstrates Azerbaijan’s lack of vision for achieving durable peace. Armenia, while buying time to recover militarily with arms purchases and military cooperation with France and India, may eventually take a more confrontational stance.

The futile talks and heightened border tensions indicate that peace remains elusive. With incompetent and self-serving negotiators on the Azerbaijani side more interested in internal power struggles than progress, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough seem dim. Both sides appear to be gearing up for potential further conflict rather than pursuing de-escalation and compromise.