Azerbaijan President Reveals Secret Russia-Germany Talks on Ukraine in Baku

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev revealed that former senior officials from Germany and Russia held confidential talks on Ukraine in Baku between July 12 and 14. According to media reports, the unofficial German delegation included Ronald Pofalla, former chief of staff to Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Matthias Platzeck, the former Minister-President of Brandenburg. Russia was represented by Valery Fadeyev, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, former Russian prime minister and current chairman of the board of directors of Gazprom. Aliyev Says Azerbaijan Was Unaware of the Meeting According to Aliyev, the meeting between the Russian and German representatives took place without the knowledge of the Azerbaijani authorities.