Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The personal involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in attempting to broker peace in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh may help usher in a fundamentally new phase in a conflict that has been stalled for the past two decades.
Armenia faces major challenges surrounding democratic development, rule of law, media freedom, corruption, and other human rights issues. What is the impact of international relationships and the Nagorny Karabakh conflict on Armenian politics and society?
The statement on Nagorny Karabakh by Presidents Medvedev, Obama, and Sarkozy at the G8 summit in Deauville, France is the most serious international declaration on the conflict in many years.
Promoting democracy in the six post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe that were designated by the European Union as deserving special attention will require the EU to offer incentives for implementing reforms.
The reluctance of Armenia and Azerbaijan to commit to peace negotiations over Nagorny Karabakh blocks the efforts of the international community to establish peace and U.S. bilateral interests in the two nations constrain a more aggressive push to force a deal.
The Nagorny Karabakh conflict remains a source of potential instability for the South Caucasus region and for neighboring countries. Lessons learned from the history of the Karabakh peace process can be applied to today's dialogue.
Although the Armenia-Turkey normalization process which began in 2008 seemed promising, it only made the situation throughout the South Caucasus worse when it stalled in April 2010.
If Armenians and Azerbaijanis want to resolve their conflict peacefully, they need to start facing up to the acts of violence committed by both sides.
The South Caucasus, a region with a long history of conflict and failed foreign intervention, would benefit from a paradigm shift in the policies of external actors.
Amid an atmosphere of mistrust and a fragile ceasefire, the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh could quickly become violent. The international community would be better served to spend extra resources now on preventative diplomacy to prevent tensions from flaring.
