Nagorno-Karabakh: A Persistent Regional Dispute

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region in the southwestern part of Azerbaijan, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians who have sought independence since 1988. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh forces, supported by Armenia, fought a fullscale against Azerbaijan and gained control of almost 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory before a ceasefire was reached in 1994. The conflict has remained unresolved and tense, with deadly clashes continuing along the line of contact.

In April 2. The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), cochaired by the United States, Russia, and France, has led mediation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The United States has long sought to promote democracy and economic stability in the Caucasus region, seeing peace in Nagorno-Karabakh as essential to these goals.

The renewed conflict threatens U.S. efforts in the area, while Russia maintains treaty obligations to defend Armenia and strong economic ties with Azer. In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a major military offensive to reclaim territories occupied since the 1990s. This offensive was influenced by Azerbaijan’s significant investment in modern weaponry and Russia’s tacit approval, partly due to its dissatisfaction with Armenia’s increasingly pro western government after 2018. Despite multiple failed ceasefire attempts, Russia eventually brokered a deal after Azerbaijan regained several regions and captured the city of Shusha near Stepanakert. The six weeks of he. The ceasefire agreement established a 10-mile Lachin corridor connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh and a 30-mile corridor through Armenia linking Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan, both to be overseen by Russian forces. However, the agreement did not determine the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving the long term resolution of the conflict uncertain.

References:

Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Renewed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org
Brookings Institution. (n.d.). Azerbaijan’s military offensive and the Russian ceasefire. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu