On 6 October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Prague to hold the first high-level talks between the two states in over 13 years.

The two met on the sidelines of the “European Political Community” summit, which hosts the leaders of 44 countries, aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity across Europe.

The two countries seek to overcome decades of mutual animosity over the 1915 Armenian genocide, which occurred under Turkish Ottoman rule. US, Russia, France, the UK, and many other nations recognize the 20th Century conflict as genocide, despite Ankara’s rejections of the event.

It was the first attempt at reconciliation between the leaders of Armenia and Turkey since 2009.

The talks are a result of efforts made to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the long-disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 in support of  Azerbaijan. It also provided Baku with military assistance during the 44-day war two years ago, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Armenians, until Russian President Vladimir Putin brokered a truce between the two states.

Earlier last month, renewed provocations between the two countries broke out, resulting in the deaths of 49 people.

Pashinyan remarked that Azerbaijani forces launched several attacks on the Armenian border during the night, using heavy caliber weapons to target Armenian military units outside of the contested areas.

Iran has also voiced concerns over the recent border dispute, urging the two neighbors to exercise restraint and find a peaceful solution in accordance with international law.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Iran would not accept any alteration of the Armenian border.

Tensions between the two nations have remained relatively high for nearly two years since Yerevan and Baku disputed over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict has claimed the lives of over 6,500 people on both sides.