President Confirms Secret German-Russian Meeting in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has confirmed that former senior German and Russian officials held a secret meeting in Baku earlier this month, an event he said occurred without his government's prior knowledge. Aliyev made the announcement on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, during a joint press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The president stated that Azerbaijani authorities became aware of the talks only after reviewing flight records. "Our territory was used for such a meeting without our knowledge," Aliyev told reporters. "I cannot comment on the details, as we were not present at the meeting. However, the flight data allows me to state that a secret meeting did take place in Baku." He indicated the meeting took place between July 12 and 14.

According to media reports, the unofficial German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former chief of staff to ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, the former premier of the state of Brandenburg. The Russian delegation reportedly included Valery Fadeyev, head of President Vladimir Putin's Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, a former Russian prime minister and current...