Conflict and Peace

France is hosting a conference of leaders and diplomats today (12 November) in Paris to support and ensure that Libya can hold its planned elections in December. Countries previously at odds on the Libyan file will be represented. A final communique is likely to issue sanctions on any parties who spoil the process. All fingers are crossed as the international community hopes Libya can get out of a decade long chaos. There are, however, fears that certain Libyan factions may not accept the result of the elections and could possibly plunge Libya back to crisis. 

The European Union has issued a statement on the occasion of the first anniversary of the end of the 44 day Karabakh War. In the statement by the Spokesperson, the EU called for the strict respect for the ceasefire, the immediate release of all remaining prisoners, full cooperation on demining, and the de-escalation of tensions in border areas.

In a joint op-ed, Dr Benyamin Poghosyan and Dr Anar Valiyev discuss how Armenia and Azerbaijan have coped with the changed realities of the last year following the end of the 44-day Karabakh War and the signing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Russia trilateral declaration of 10 November 2021. They say the "war has redefined the South Caucasus, and it continues to do so. The heavy price paid by those who died should not be in vain. The opportunity for peace is now within the grasp of the people of the region. It will not be easy to achieve peace, nor is the risk of a spiral back to violence to be completely excluded. Which is why it is now time for cool heads, sober assessments, and careful but courageous steps, by the leaders, as well as by wider society.”

"When playing on Armenian vulnerabilities, both Azerbaijan and Turkey should take into account that each step aimed at increasing fears in Armenia leads to a new level of dependence on Russia", writes Alexander Petrosyan in this op-ed. "In the end, everything is a matter of interpretation and perception", he argues.