The Caucasus region located between the waters of the Black and Caspian Seas is connecting European and Asian continents territorially. The area of Caucasus is mainly occupied by six states – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey. The mountainous terrain of this region is divided between Northern and Southern parts of Caucasia populated by generally Christian and Muslim communities. The rich cultures of the Caucasian states attract tourists from around the world and Azerbaijan is considered to be the richest state of this region. The oil-wealthy Azerbaijan touches the Caspian waters in contrast to the diverse landscape of Georgia which borders the waters of Black sea. Both states are commonly known as the regional points of greater attraction for international community. Additionally, the mixed terrain of Armenia touches the borders of Iran and Turkey, and is the third main state of Caucasia. The greater Caucasian mountains region consisting of three states borders the Russian Federation in the north. Russian areas of Krasnodar, Stavropol Krai, Rostov Oblast, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia North Ossetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia share the borers with Georgia and Azerbaijan. The historical strings of Caucasia remained under the influence of its surroundings Iranian, Turkish, and Russian civilizations. It is the region where Iran, Russia and Turkey are only separated by three states-Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.
The history of the Caucasian region cannot be completed without discussing the ongoing territorial issues of Nagorno-Karabakh which has become a protracted dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The governments of both states adopted inflexible positions over the land of Karabakh in the post-Soviet era, and in this way the scope of regional peace and stability deteriorated. It is an ethnic and territorial conflict between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. Initially, the historical demise of Soviet Union in the end of decades-long period of Cold War laid the foundations of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan, former Soviet Republics, entered in a phase of an unending conflict immediately after the disintegration of Soviet Union. The efforts of the international community for the peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict were always halted by stubborn positions of state officials of both the contesting parties. Several attempts for installing a permanent peace agreement acceptable to both parties remained an unrealistic dream.
The history of Karabakh under violence started when the Armenian government preferred to send their armed forces against Azerbaijan in 1992 which occupied 20% of Azerbaijani land, including Nagorno-Karabakh, and expelled around 1 million Azeri citizens. The Azeri areas under Armenian occupation are Kalbajar, Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, Fizuli, Khojavend, Shusha Khojaly, Khankendi, Agdam, and Agdere. These twelve areas were captured by the Armenian army and in this way, the wave of bloodshed initiated by Armenia turned the South Caucus regional politics into violence, and deteriorated the scope of peace and stability in the region. In short, the end of the twentieth century embraced an unexplainable wave of bloodshed after the Cold War and the Caucasus region started to witness a series of tragic incidents. The Armenian aggression sparked a wave of massive human rights violations and causalities of the Karabakh residents. Estimates show that the military raids by the Armenian army has caused 20,000 deaths, 4,866 persons went missing, and 100,000 were injured. Moreover, 50,000 people have suffered injures of varying severity and became disabled. The humanitarian efforts of Baku has accommodated over one million refugees including Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Azerbaijan.
The genesis of Karabakh land are fundamentally inherited in Azerbaijan, because most importantly, it is one of the ancient regions of Azerbaijan. The name of this area which is internationally recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan is rooted in Azeri language. Karabakh is a combination of two words of Azeri language – Kara (meaning Black) and Bakh (meaning Garden). Similar to its name, the people of Karabakh share a multi-dimensional history with the Azeri people. Initially, the area of Karabakh was considered to be a historical and geographical location of Caucasia which later became an undeniable part of larger Azerbaijan land. The region of Karabakh covers a total area of 4,400 square kilometres and is located territorially on the southwest of Azerbaijan. Parallel to Azerbaijan, this mountainous areas touches the Armenian borders as well.
In order to clear the Azerbaijani position over the land of Karabakh, the president of Azerbaijan and the founding father of Azeri nation, Heydar Aliyev stated, “Azerbaijan does not plan to use the difficult situation in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh to achieve its own military objectives. This, despite the fact that in 1991-1993 Armenia took advantage of the internal tensions within Azerbaijan to occupy our lands. We support peace. We don’t consider a military solution acceptable.” The Foreign Affairs Advisor to President Heydar Aliyev, Vafa Guluzade, during an interview to an American news agency said “The condition of war and lack of any settlement greatly damages both Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, Azerbaijan has more potential than Armenia. If the status quo continues, Azerbaijan will achieve much more than Armenia. This is obvious. But I would not like to have Armenia as a starving, embittered and “armed-to-the-teeth” neighbour. It is in the best interests of both of our countries to reach peace and develop together rather than annihilate each other.” Hafiz Pashayev, Azerbaijani ambassador to United States, during a conference on Azerbaijani economy described his position on Karabakh issue, “I’m optimistic about the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for one simple reason: both history and facts are not on the side of extremists in Armenia. History in the 21st century will not be on the side of aggression. History will not favour those who create a million refugees and then claim they themselves are the victims. And history will not be kind to those who live in the past but do not learn from it.”
Several arguments expressed by leaders from diverse backgrounds show the significance of the Karabakh conflict in world politics. The President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, during an official visit of Azerbaijan said, “The world has closed its eyes to the humanitarian catastrophe in Azerbaijan, where every seventh citizen is a refugee. The vast majority of these refugees originate from Azerbaijani districts occupied by Armenian troops outside of Karabakh proper. I am convinced that Armenia does not gain anything from having created this situation; in fact, it only loses.”
In 1996, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSEC) at Lisbon Summit accepted the lack of progressive development for the peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict. Three principle were recommended by the Co-Chairman of the Minsk Conference. The member states of the Mink Group provided their support to the following three principles.
1. Territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic;
2. Legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh defined in an agreement based on self-determination which confers on Nagorno-Karabakh the highest degree of self-rule within Azerbaijan;
3. Guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and its whole population, including mutual obligations to ensure compliance by all the Parties with the provisions of the settlement.
The Minsk Group was created by OSCE in 1992 for the promotion of harmonious environment to carry peaceful negotiations which could resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh decisively. Minsk Group or commonly known as Minsk Process is co-chaired by Paris, Moscow, and Washington. The Group comprises permanent members – Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan. The unproductive progress of the Minsk Group is inherited in the role of co-chaired countries which are France, Russian Federation and United States with which the Armenian government has cultivated cooperative relations. Moreover, the three countries are accommodating a large number of Armenian citizens in their lands.
Prior to 1996, the OSCE’s meetings at Helsinki on March 24, 1992 and at Budapest on December 5-6, 1994 emphasized the scope of peaceful settlement of armed conflict between the Caucasian states over the Nagorno-Karabakh land. Furthermore, the ninth session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Doha focused on the Karabakh conflict during its session of Peace and Development. This meeting of Muslim countries passed a resolution (Resolution No. 21/9-P (IS) on the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia Against the Republic of Azerbaijan) on December 12-13, 2000. Above all, the role of United Nations analogues to other territorial disputes of international system remained theoretically so much active. On December 20, 1993, the 85th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly passed a resolution (Resolution A/RES/48/114) calling Emergency International Assistance to Refugees and Displaced Persons in Azerbaijan.
The efforts of the international community failed to produce positive results and the Karabakh conflict became one of the major conflicts of post-Soviet era. United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted several resolutions for the peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict but the role of UNSC remained largely ineffective in implementing its resolutions. UNSC passed four resolutions, Resolution 822-adopted on April 30, 1993, Resolution 853- adopted on July 29, 1993, Resolution 874-adopted on October 14, 1993, and Resolution 884-adopted on November 12, 1993. The Armenian leaders obsessed with anti-Azeri behaviour do not agree with the four UNSC resolutions which are principally designed to liberate the occupied areas of Karabakh. Armenia‘s official inflexible position over the Karabakh conflict cemented in violent military operations is unable to accept the role of UNSC, and the government of Armenia is unwilling to compromise its stance over the land of Karabakh.
Armenian foreign relations with great powers and its anti-Azeri lobbying around the global have placed the Karabakh issue at a low priority of the international community. The people living in the world’s capitals seem less inclined towards Caucasian peace on the basis of their cooperative and diplomatic connections with Armenian government. Therefore, the hostile status of Karabakh has become one of the most terrible pictures of human rights violations in the history of mankind. The ethnocentric claims of Armenia is cemented in their brutal armed policies against the Azeri people, it has launched a massive campaign of negating Azerbaijani legitimate claims over Karabakh region. No doubt, the chances for a peaceful resolution of this conflict remains a most desired objective of the international community, but the leaders around the world are reluctant in forcing the Armenian government towards a peaceful settlement of Karabakh dispute. The belligerent attitude of Armenia has not only caused massive human rights violations, but it has also endangered the scope of regional peace and prosperity. A more meaningful role of the great powers is now needed to resolve the Karabakh dispute peacefully, and to stop the Armenian aggression against bordering nations. The suspension of Armenian armed violence is a viable option which could lead the international community towards a peaceful solution.
