Illusive Peace: 25 years of unresolved conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the cease fire agreement in the conflict over the former Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-majority area within Azerbaijan during the Soviet-era. The brutal war that ended in May 1994 has been replaced by a bitter stalemate, a ceasefire that is regularly broken by bouts of violence along the line of contact that sees scores of soldiers and civilians killed each year. Seven neighbouring regions remain under Armenian control and the future of Nagorno-Karabakh remains heavily disputed.
The OSCE’s Minsk Group (with co-chairs from France, the United States of America, and Russia) has led peace and conflict management efforts over the last quarter century, but a final peace remains a seemingly distant hope and further serious conflict a continuing risk. This panel discussion will examine the situation on the ground today, explore what can be done to prevent further escalation and assess the opportunities for meaningful progress in the peace process. It will look at the potential impact of the change of Government in Armenia on the political dynamics surrounding the conflict. It will look whether there is more that can be done by the international community, including the OSCE and EU, to help breathe new life into efforts to achieve peace.
Normandy World Peace Forum, Caen, Abbaye-aux-Dames, France
Dr Laurence Broers, Caucasus Programme Director, Conciliation Resources
Dr Leila Alieva, SCR member, St Anthony’s College Oxford
Olesya Vartanyan, EU Neighbourhood Analyst, International Crisis Group
Dr Thorniké Gordadzé, Institute of Higher National Defence Studies
Chair: Adam Hug, Director, Foreign Policy Centre