Russian and German officials met for secret talks in Azerbaijan earlier this month, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told reporters on Tuesday, though he did not detail what was discussed during the meeting.
“Our territory was used for such a meeting without our knowledge… Flight data allows me to state that a secret meeting did take place in Baku,” Aliyev said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Merz said he was unaware of the meeting.
According to the German tabloid Bild, Azerbaijan’s border services recorded former minister president of Brandenburg Matthias Platzeck and former chief of staff of the German chancellery Ronald Pofalla arriving in the South Caucasus country on July 12.
Russia’s former prime minister and current Gazprom board chairman Viktor Zubkov and current presidential human rights chief Valery Fadeyev reportedly arrived in Azerbaijan shortly after. Kommersant reported that Aliyev confirmed their visit to the country.
