Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal-II

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Why in news?

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a Russia-brokered ceasefire in and around Nagorno-Karabakh region.

What led to the war?

• In 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed, the newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Nagorno-Karabakh had been an autonomous region within Azerbaijan during the Soviet years.
• Armenians have made historical claims over the enclave, which is largely populated by ethnic Armenians.
• By the time the all-out war came to an end in 1994, Armenia had captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
• In, Azerbaijan launched the offensive vowing to take back Nagorno-Karabakh and other Armenian-occupied districts.
• In six weeks of fighting since September 2020, Azeri forces retook territories, including some 40% of Nagorno-Karabakh itself.

How the ceasefire was achieved?

• Russia, which has a security agreement with Armenia, remained neutral in the early days of the war.
• When Azerbaijan captured Armenian territories, Armenia sought Russian help.
• But Mr. Putin said the security guarantee is for Armenia, not for the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
• However, Russia was concerned about the rapid change in the status quo and the more assertive security role Turkey was playing in its backyard.
• Under pressure from Moscow, both sides agreed to cease the operations.

What are the terms of the ceasefire?

• According to the ceasefire, Armenia agreed to withdraw its troops from much of the territories around Nagorno-Karabakh.
• The core of the enclave with ethnic Armenians and Stepanakert as its capital would remain outside the control of Azerbaijan.
• Armenia lost territories it controlled since the 1990s.
• But it avoided a total defeat as much of Nagorno-Karabakh would remain independent of Azeri control.
• Russia would send some 2,000 peacekeepers to the region, who would patrol between the Azeri troops and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Did Russia get what it wanted?

• Russia could enforce the ceasefire and keep Turkey and western countries out of the final talks.
• This shows that Moscow remains a dominant power in the region.
• But the war also showed that the Russian dominance in the region could be challenged.

Is the conflict over?

• It’s not. The war has altered the balance of power in favour of Azerbaijan.
• It stopped short of taking the entire Nagorno-Karabakh for now, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t go for it again.
• The status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains unsettled.
• This means that the conflict has only been postponed, not resolved.

Source: The Hindu