There was much to discuss just over a year after the end of the war, including ongoing border tensions, plans to reopen borders and transportation, and the fate of Armenian prisoners.
The question of whether Uzbekistan should join the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, with its single market of 184 million people, has provoked fierce debates.
Uzbekistan has been discussed as the most likely contender to accept some sort of U.S. military presence, even as Tashkent consistently denies the possibility.
Unlike the last time the two sides explored restoring ties, Azerbaijan doesn’t seem to be trying to play the spoiler. But questions remain about Russia’s involvement in the process.
Baku has been increasingly airing public criticisms of Moscow over the post-war order, which have been exacerbated by the lack of a formal mandate for the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.
