President Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday extended his congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, on his country's signing of a historic peace pact with neighbouring Armenia.
Sheikh Mohamed spoke of his hope, during a phone call with Mr Aliyev, that the agreement sealed at the White House on Friday would “usher in a new phase of co-operation between the two countries and enhance peace and stability”.
Mr Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shook hands after talks hosted by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending decades of conflict between the countries in the South Caucasus.
The nations signed an agreement that will create a transit corridor, to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
That route will connect mainland Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan region – a demand from Baku that had held up peace talks between the two nations.
Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan are separated by a 32km stretch of Armenian territory.
Sheikh Mohamed reiterated the UAE's commitment to supporting dialogue and diplomacy to foster stability and promote prosperity, state news agency Wam reported.
Mr Aliyev expressed his appreciation to the President for the UAE's concerted diplomatic efforts to strengthen peace in the region and internationally.
The two men also discussed joint efforts to reinforce bilateral ties, particularly in the fields of economy and investment.
The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia previously took part in peace talks in Abu Dhabi in July, helping to set the stage for this weekend's milestone agreement.
Those high-level discussions came after the two nations agreed to a draft peace deal in March.
Both leaders thanked President Sheikh Mohamed for his warm hospitality and for organising the meeting.
Sheikh Mohamed said the decision to hold the talks in the UAE emphasised that the country is trusted as a supporter of peace and diplomatic solutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Easing long-standing tensions
For more than three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have wrestled over the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region with a mainly ethnic Armenian population.
They have fought two wars – in the 1990s and in 2020 – over the region.
More than 6,500 people were killed in six weeks of fighting in the autumn of 2020. That ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire.
