Aliyev reports secret meeting of Russian, German officials in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced, based on flight data, that officials from Russia and Germany held a secret meeting in Baku earlier this month. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was unaware of the meeting.

Scraper SystemJuly 21, 2026, 09:43 PM

Aliyev reports secret meeting of Russian, German officials in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made a striking statement at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Aliyev announced, based on flight data, that Russian and German officials held a secret meeting in Baku earlier this month.

"Our territory was used for such a meeting without our knowledge... Flight data allows me to state that a secret meeting took place in Baku," Aliyev said, without providing details about the meeting's content.

German Chancellor Merz, for his part, said at the press conference that he was not aware of the meeting.

According to German Bild newspaper, Azerbaijani border services recorded that Matthias Platzeck, former prime minister of Brandenburg, and Ronald Pofalla, former general secretary of the German Chancellery, arrived in Azerbaijan on July 12. Bild also reported that shortly after, former Russian prime minister and current Gazprom board chairman Viktor Zubkov and current presidential human rights chief Valery Fadeyev arrived in Azerbaijan.

Russian Kommersant newspaper reported that Aliyev confirmed the visit of the individuals in question to the country. Last week, German and British media reported that at least four similar secret meetings had been held in Baku and Abu Dhabi since 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine war began.

At the press conference, Aliyev said, "If this meeting can help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, we would only welcome it."

In June, German media wrote that Merz's office was quietly preparing the ground for talks with Russian officials after consulting with France and the UK. Last month, British, French and German ambassadors met with senior officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry. While European leaders have been raising the possibility of direct talks with Russia for weeks, the Kremlin rejected the idea that the European Union could be a potential mediator in Ukraine peace negotiations.

Aliyev reports secret meeting of Russian, German officials in Baku