RA MFA denies unofficial talks with Azerbaijanis in Dubai

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Foreign Ministry has denied claims that Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held unofficial contacts with Azerbaijani delegates during a recent stopover in Dubai, while acknowledging that he did, in fact, spend a night there.

The report, initially published by Pastinfo citing a diplomatic source, claimed that Minister Mirzoyan made a stopover in Dubai during his return from an official visit to Kazakhstan and held unofficial meetings with members of the Azerbaijani delegation.

When approached for comment, the Armenian MFA initially rejected that Mirzoyan had been in Dubai and asked the outlet to reveal its source. “Pastinfo” declined to disclose the source, after which the ministry confirmed that the minister had indeed been in Dubai.

“There has been no unreported visit, including to the UAE. On March 28, following an official visit to Kazakhstan, Minister Mirzoyan returned via an Astana-Dubai-Yerevan flight,” the MFA said in a response. “No official or unofficial meetings with representatives of any country took place in Dubai. This response is provided as a denial of the incorrect ‘information’ mentioned in your inquiry.”

The ministry, however, did not comment on why the minister spent the night in a “transit country” or why the initial presence in Dubai was denied.

“Let us note that the MFA confirmed Mirzoyan’s presence in the UAE only after learning we had a witness,” “Pastinfo” added.