Alwaght- Amid concerns about flare-up of a new round of tensions in mountainous Karabakh region in recent months, Azerbaijani and Armenian officials have recently met in Moscow to discuss ways to set aside the differences and reach a lasting peace. To this end, Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on Friday met the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The top dipmats’ remarks have suggested that both sides are serious and progress has been made towards their goal. Lavrov, for example, described the negotiations as “positive”, adding that they discussed a peace treaty and some other cases and managed to get close to a common viewpoint. According to the Russian FM, his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts confirmed that without solving the issues related to border demarcation, closure of transportation routes and economic contacts, and without overall improvement of the security situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, moving forward in some specific aspects of the peace agreement are difficult.
“The meeting of the tripartite group led by the deputy prime ministers, on the issues of unblocking transport communications, should take place next week. We hope that there will be a positive result,” Lavrov said.
Bayramov, for his part, referred to the importance of revival of relations with Armenia, saying: “We want to revive relations with Armenia post-war and this process is followed through various ways. We want to do our best in this regard. All these ways complement each other. His Armenian counterpart, on the other side, emphasized on the need to prevent future tensions, and vowed that Yerevan will commit to tripartite agreement of the heads of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
Unblocking Lachin Corridor
In addition to the tripartite meetings, bilaterals were held between Lavrov and FMs of the two countries. In the meeting between Lavrov and Mirzoyan, issues related to stability and security in the region and the process of reestablishing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan were discussed. They discussed the implementation of the agreement of the heads of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of removing the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor. He also highlighted the importance of abandoning the use of force in parallel with the negotiation process. In this meeting, the agenda of bilateral cooperation between Armenia and Russia was also discussed.
Currently, the most challenging issue about Karabakh is the blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijani forces. Though Azerbaijani officials claim that supplies to Armenians in Karabakh are not disrupted, cutting energy and food flow threatens lives of thousands in the Armenian-majority part of Karabakh as Azerbaijanis continue their obstructions. Azerbaijan’s military set up several checkpoints in entry to Karabakh blocking way of Armenians into and out of the region. Actually, by taking hostage thousands of Armenians, Baku is trying to wrest political and military privileges from Yerevan.
Lachin Corridor is somehow a replacement to the controversial Zangezor Corridorr, which Baku planned to build at any cost. The corridor, which the Azerbaijani authorities claimed was agreed upon in the 2020 peace deal, was supposed to connect the mainland Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Region. With this corridor, the borders of Iran and Armenia would be completely cut off, but the project did not materialize due to the opposition of Armenia, Iran, and, to some extent, Russia. Baku officials are infuriated about this setback and are trying to avenge their defeat by seizing Lachin.
What issues were agreed?
The tripartite Moscow meeting is a sequel to a series of meetings held in recent months between Baku and Yerevan officials in various countries to put an end to the security tensions. Last month, foreign ministers of the two countries talked to each other in Washington, and although the Americans said that the results were constructive, there have been sporadic exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries in Karabakh, and the latest cessation of fire took place on May 18, just a day before Moscow meeting.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan recently met with European leaders in Brussels.
“On May 14, I met with Aliyev in Brussels by the mediation of Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. At the meeting held in Prague in October 2022 with the mediation of the President of France and the President of the European Council, the President of Azerbaijan and I once again emphasized our countries’ commitment to the UN Charter and the Declaration of Alma-Ata. Based on Declaration of Alma-Ata, emphasizing that we recognize each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, we agreed that this would be the basis for the work of the border delimitation commissions,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying.
Pashinyan further said that in this meeting, they have practically taken another step forward and maintained that the territorial size of Azerbaijan is 86,000 square kilometers and that of Armenia is 29,000 square kilometers and should be respected.
“I see this as a major step towards regional peace and stability, finalization of the peace initiative between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and demarcation of the borders,” he continued.
According to the Armenian PM, in the EU statement on conclusion of the tripartite meeting, the importance of cooperation with the world community and dialogue between Baku and Republic of Artsakh on the rights and security of the Armenians of the mountainous Karabakh was highlighted. This process is important to a real and all-out settlement of tensions between Baku and Yerevan and establishment of peace in the region. He also held that it will considerably accelerate peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In Brussels, Pashinyan further noted, “positive agreements” concerning revival of Armenia-Azerbaijan railway were reached, and Yerevan reopens railway links under article 9 of November 2020 and January 2023 tripartite statements. According to him, Armenia is willing to implement the principles of sovereignty of both sides.
In the Azerbaijani-Armenian meetings held over the past year, the two sides announced their agreements to peace. However, upon end of the negotiations, they re-engaged in verbal clashes and border fire exchange.
Russian goals and concerns
As the guarantor of the Karabakh peace agreements, Russia is pushing for immediate end to the tensions in the region, as continuation of crisis will bring trans-regional actors, including the Westerners, to the region. And this is something not in Moscow interests in the current conditions. Tensions in Karabakh will distract Russian focus from Ukraine and this provides the West with an opportunity to make gains against Moscow on the ground. Recently, the EU sent its experts to Karabakh under the guise of peace and stability mission, drawing strong Russian reaction. In Russian viewpoint, the US and Europe never seek peace and balanced solutions in the region, rather their moves are demonstrative and aimed at expelling Russia from South Caucasus region. That is why Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to convince his allies in Caucasus to end their disputes in order for him to feel comfortable about the southern borders.
Azerbaijan’s insistence on blocking Lachin Corridor poses a serious obstacle to peace and paves the ground for future clashes the victim of which will mostly be Baku that is not walking back from its positions to fulfill its ambitions.
