Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Armenia	Azerbaijan

The relations between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan are characterized by open hostility and mutual distrust, with serious economic and social consequences for the respective populations. Mainly because of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , the two states do not maintain diplomatic relations and the border is closed. Politicians from the two countries only met under pressure from third parties.

During the Soviet era, the ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis was frozen. The young Soviet Union slammed Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh to the Azerbaijani SSR to accommodate Turkey's wishes . It broke out again after the collapse of the Soviet Union , numerous third-party initiatives ( Georgia , OSCE , Russia , USA , Council of Europe ) were launched to resolve the conflict, but none of the initiatives was successful. The policy of controlled destabilization of Russia, which has undertaken numerous missions for peace and stability in the Caucasus, but which is accused of partisanship for Armenia, also contributes to this. Between 1992 and 1997, for example, weapons worth one billion US dollars were supplied to the Armenian military.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union , 85% of goods and energy imports were transacted through Azerbaijani territory. As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the subsequent closure of the border by Azerbaijan, this transport corridor was no longer available. Deliveries from Russia now have to pass through Georgia , which means that Armenia's imports are dependent on poor Georgian-Russian relations and, with Verkhny Lars, the only border crossing that is not on separatist territory. Azerbaijan is particularly careful to ensure that its oil and gas exports bypass Armenian territory, so that the Armenian state does not earn anything from Azerbaijani energy exports.

Last but not least, the foreign policy orientation of the two states is different. Armenia is a member of the Russian-led military alliance Organization of the Collective Security Treaty , which Azerbaijan initially reluctantly joined and did not renew its membership in 1999. Azerbaijan is now a member of the GUAM security alliance . Armenia is also a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union , while Azerbaijan has retained its economic independence thanks to its energy exports.

Web links

Commons : Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Frederik Coene: The Caucasus: an introduction . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2010, ISBN 978-0-203-87071-6 , pp. 171 .
2. ↑ Claude Moniquet and William Racimora: The Armenia-Iran Relationship - Strategic implication for security in the South Caucasus region . European Strategic Intelligence & Security Center, Brussels 2013, p. 49 ( esisc.org [PDF]).
3. ↑ Claude Moniquet and William Racimora: The Armenia-Iran Relationship - Strategic implication for security in the South Caucasus region . European Strategic Intelligence & Security Center, Brussels 2013, p. 30 ( esisc.org [PDF]).
4. ↑ Houman A. Sadri and Omar Vera-Muñiz: Iranian relations with the South Caucasus . In: Thomas Juneau and Sam Razavi (eds.): Iranian Foreign Policy since 2001 . Routledge, Abingdon 2013, ISBN 978-0-415-82743-0 , pp. 145 .
5. ↑ Claude Moniquet and William Racimora: The Armenia-Iran Relationship - Strategic implication for security in the South Caucasus region . European Strategic Intelligence & Security Center, Brussels 2013, p. 13 ( esisc.org [PDF]).
6. ↑ Frederik Coene: The Caucasus: an introduction . 1st edition. Routledge, London 2010, ISBN 978-0-203-87071-6 , pp. 172 .