Date/Time
Date(s) - 16/10/2026
10:00 - 12:00
Location
Press Club Brussels Europe
Categories
ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI PEACE PLATFORM
Brussels Stakeholder Meeting
Civil Society Dialogue for Sustainable Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Representatives of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Platform are pleased to invite representatives of the European and Belgian expert community, civil society organizations, media, EU institutions and public authorities to a stakeholder meeting in Brussels.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for direct exchange between Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society representatives and their European counterparts on the prospects for sustainable peace, societal reconciliation and long-term cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Speakers:
Emin Huseynov, Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist in exile, Director of the Institute for Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland.
Hovsep Khurshudyan, Armenian public figure, President of the Free Citizen Civic Initiatives Support Center, Yerevan, Armenia.
Format of the meeting
10:00-10:30 — Welcome coffee and networking
10:30-11:00 — Presentation of the Peace Platform and the Common Ground Project
11:00-12:00 — Stakeholder discussion and Q&A
The discussion will address:
– the current opportunities and challenges for sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
– the role of independent civil society in complementing the official peace process;
– rebuilding trust and maintaining direct Armenian-Azerbaijani societal dialogue after decades of conflict;
– the role of independent media, experts and civil society in countering hostile narratives, disinformation and
polarization;
– opportunities for joint Armenian-Azerbaijani civil society initiatives;
– the role of the European Union and European civil society in supporting dialogue, democratic resilience and long-term regional cooperation.
About the Initiative
The Armenian-Azerbaijani Peace Platform is developing as an independent, civil-society-driven dialogue initiative, bringing together Armenian and Azerbaijani experts, journalists and civil society actors, including Azerbaijani civil society representatives in exile, committed to direct communication and peaceful cooperation.
A central objective of the Platform is to develop, through open public dialogue, a shared vision of a peaceful, constructive and prosperous future for Armenian and Azerbaijani societies in a democratic and European-integrated South Caucasus. Rather than focusing solely on overcoming the legacy of conflict, the initiative seeks to encourage both societies to jointly imagine and shape a common future based on peace, democracy, mutual respect and European values.
Alongside government-supported initiatives such as the “Peace Bridge”, the Platform represents a distinct and complementary bottom-up approach. It is not established, directed or politically sponsored by either the Armenian or Azerbaijani government. Its purpose is to preserve an independent space where civil society actors from both countries can communicate directly, discuss difficult issues openly and develop their own ideas for reconciliation and future cooperation. We believe that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through intergovernmental agreements alone. It also requires dialogue between societies, independent civic engagement and the gradual rebuilding of trust between people.
About the Project
The Brussels meeting is organized within the framework of “Common Ground: Armenia-Azerbaijan Dialogue”.
The project is implemented through cooperation between three civil society organizations: Dialogue for Understanding e.V. (Germany) — Project Lead; Free Citizen Civic Initiatives Support Center (Armenia); Institute for Human Rights (Azerbaijani partner organization, based in Switzerland).
The project brings together Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society representatives, journalists and experts through direct dialogue, joint discussions and international meetings, with the aim of strengthening mutual understanding and developing sustainable channels of cooperation.
You can watch our podcasts (mainly in Russian) here:
https://www.youtube.com/@freecitizencisc9484/streams; https://www.youtube.com/@dialogue4u/streams
https://www.youtube.com/@ObyektivTV/streams
Working language: English
The meeting will be interactive and will provide substantial time for discussion with participants.
Representatives of EU institutions, Belgian and European public bodies, think tanks, civil society organizations, media, academia and the international donor community are warmly invited to participate.
Participation is free of charge. Prior registration is required through this link. Please bring a passport or ID with you, as identification will be required to enter the venue.
Contact e-mails: hovsepkhurshudyan@gmail.com, info@instituteforhumanrights.org, syuzanna.galstyan@dialogue4u.org
We look forward to welcoming you in Brussels for an open and constructive exchange on how independent civil society can contribute to transforming political peace into sustainable peace between societies, and on the role that European civil society, the expert community, public institutions and the media can play in supporting this process