The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Regional implications and the peace process

Professor Kamer Kasım, Vice President of the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) in Turkey, shares his views on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In his review, he suggests that prolonging the status quo blocks any kind of integration and keeps alive the possibility of another destructive war in the Caucasus. The article explains the importance of the one of the “knots” in the region, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and lays out the implications of the conflict for the domestic and foreign policies of Azerbaijan and Armenia as well as regional powers (i.e. Russia, Turkey, and Iran). The author provides a brief history of the conflict resolution process to date, and argues that Azerbaijan’s domestic stability was badly affected by the conflict, which delayed the establishment of a stable state structure. Additionally, Armenian domestic politics have become hostage to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict due to the closure of its borders with Turkey and its increased dependency on Russia. The author concludes that prolonging the status quo blocks any kind of integration and keeps alive the possibility of another destructive war in the Caucasus.

Authors: Kamer Kasım
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