Editorial: the moment of truth for Armenia-Azerbaijan peace

This is an editorial comment prepared by the team of commonspace.eu

Exactly one year ago, in the early hours of the morning, the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the prime minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, at the instigation and with the personal mediation and participation of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, signed a trilateral declaration which formally ended the 44 day Karabakh War and offered prospects for a new beginning.

The War did end, and despite the sporadic incidents there has not been any return to large-scale hostilities. But the new beginning has yet to come, and now is the time.

Even the most optimistic, of those who carefully monitor events in the South Caucasus, could understand that the first year after the end of the conflict was bound to be lost. There were bodies to be found and buried, heroes – dead or alive – to be honoured, lose ends from the conflict to be tied up, and adjustments made based on new realities.

It was understood that Armenia needed time to heal its wounds after its military defeat, and to exhaust its internal political process, which led to the snap election of June, and the unexpected clear victory of prime minister Pashinyan. And even Azerbaijan needed time and space, to let out the euphoria after a military victory that most Azerbaijanis thought was never going to be possible. That all happened in the last year. It is now time to draw a line under the past and plan for the future.

Aliyev and Pashinyan needed time, and they got it. Now there is no more time to lose. The current situation offers the best opportunity in decades for a new beginning in the South Caucasus. It must not be squandered, and both sides need to understand that they have only a short window of opportunity – probably lasting months not years, during which they must have the courage to take the next steps.

Armenia-Azerbaijan relations need to be normalized and formalized, and the two sides need to start talking about establishing formal diplomatic relations, even though resolving outstanding issues between them will take a long time. Active and permanent diplomatic contacts will help the process of normalization. The leaders must have the political courage to not only take difficult decisions, but also to take ambitious decisions.

In this they need the support within their countries of all people of good will, and beyond their countries the sympathy and support of the international community.

The 10th November 2020 trilateral declaration is not a perfect document. It leaves many things unanswered, and it gives an unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, privileged position to Russia in the South Caucasus. But it has its positive sides too, and it is now important that it be used as the initial base for taking things forward.

source: commonspace.eu
photo: Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev (archive picture)

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

On March 27, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, issued a statement calling on the Georgian government to “fully respect” its human rights obligations as a Council of Europe member state, “including with regard to the protection of the human rights of LGBTI people,” in response to the ruling party’s initiation of two draft constitutional laws on “family values and the protection of minors.” “I am concerned about the present political discourse in Georgia, as illustrated by the announcement made by the Georgian Dream Party of their initiative to amend the Constitution and to adopt a new constitutional law on ‘Protection of Family Values and Underaged Persons’. It is reflective of entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people which still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians, and is capable of having a strong, negative impact on the human rights, safety and well-being of LGBTI people and defenders of their rights. It also represents the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections, which I have previously condemned, and which should have no place in a democratic society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights of everyone.

Popular

Editor's choice
News
Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

On March 27, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, issued a statement calling on the Georgian government to “fully respect” its human rights obligations as a Council of Europe member state, “including with regard to the protection of the human rights of LGBTI people,” in response to the ruling party’s initiation of two draft constitutional laws on “family values and the protection of minors.” “I am concerned about the present political discourse in Georgia, as illustrated by the announcement made by the Georgian Dream Party of their initiative to amend the Constitution and to adopt a new constitutional law on ‘Protection of Family Values and Underaged Persons’. It is reflective of entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people which still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians, and is capable of having a strong, negative impact on the human rights, safety and well-being of LGBTI people and defenders of their rights. It also represents the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections, which I have previously condemned, and which should have no place in a democratic society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights of everyone.