Bayramov told how Pashinyan asked Aliyev, "Do you want me to be arrested?"

The first contact between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after coming to power took place in Dushanbe in September 2018. At that time, Aliyev declared that the problem must be resolved and that “Azerbaijani lands must be liberated.”

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov spoke about this in an interview with ITV.

According to Jeyhun Bayramov, Nikol Pashinyan's position at that time was quite constructive: he said: "I have just come to power and will take the necessary steps to resolve the conflict." He asked to stop the shooting on the border in order to resolve the conflict.

"While in Dushanbe, Aliyev instructed the Defense Ministry to ensure complete peace and stability in all directions. An agreement was reached with Nikol Pashinyan to organize a direct line of communication between the two countries, and this line was created so that in the event of tension, the parties could take immediate steps to ensure stability," Bayramov said.

On March 29, 2019, a regular meeting between the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia took place in Vienna, mediated by the now-famous OSCE Minsk Group. During that meeting, Nikol Pashinyan completely changed his position, openly declaring that he could not resolve the issue [the Karabakh conflict] and that he would not resolve it.

"In addition, he makes a very interesting argument: 'If I do this, they will kill me.' And he even asks Aliyev a rhetorical question." Aliyev answers him: 'I generally do not want anyone to die, but this can in no way be an excuse for the 'continued occupation of Azerbaijani lands.'"