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In a significant development, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to discuss a peace agreement that could finally end the decades-long conflict between their nations. The talks, described as "highly constructive" and "result-oriented," focused on crucial issues like border delimitation and transportation corridors
Background of the Conflict 🌪️
The dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan centers around Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a predominantly ethnic Armenian population. The conflict escalated in the late 1980s, leading to multiple wars and significant population displacements. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained control of Karabakh, resulting in the displacement of around 100,000 ethnic Armenians
Key Issues and Challenges 🤝
- *Border Delimitation*: Azerbaijan demands technical, map-based demarcation as a precondition for a peace treaty, while Armenia calls for reciprocal confidence-building measures.
- *Transportation Corridors*: Azerbaijan seeks a corridor through Armenia to connect its main territory to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave bordering Turkey.
- *Constitutional Amendments*: Azerbaijan wants Armenia to amend its constitution, which it claims implies territorial assertions
A Step Towards Peace 🌟
While no major breakthrough was announced, both sides agreed to continue negotiations at various levels. Russia, which previously stationed peacekeepers in the region, expressed full support for the diplomatic process, hoping it would bring "predictability, stability and peace to the region"
What's Next? 🔮
The success of these talks could reshape the geopolitics of the South Caucasus, a strategic region rich in energy resources. A peace treaty would not only benefit Armenia and Azerbaijan but also have broader implications for regional trade, energy cooperation, and people-to-people ties ¹.
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