Putin announced agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan on border demarcation
Russian head of state Vladimir Putin acted as a mediator by organizing a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Sochi. One of the most important issues raised at the meeting was the discussion of demarcation and delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, unblocking of transport corridors.
The closure of the main highways and the closure of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan had an extremely negative impact on the general economic situation in the Transcaucasus. After all, the geographical location of states is such that with a full-fledged transport connection, they, one way or another, are forced to use each other's territory. For example, Azerbaijan has to use the territory of Armenia to communicate with its own region - the Nakhichevan region.
The demarcation of the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be carried out anew, according to Soviet maps at the disposal of both states. By the way, Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, spoke about this, by the way, even before the talks in Sochi began.
After the meeting between Aliyev, Pashinyan and Putin, it was decided to create a joint Armenian-Azerbaijani commission, which should deal with the demarcation and delimitation of the state border. This process, which is recognized in both Baku and Yerevan, may take years, but it is necessary for the region to live a peaceful life. Until the border issue is resolved, the risk of a renewed armed conflict will remain.
In addition, border disputes negatively affect the development of not only Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also the EAEU, since important trade and transport routes pass through the Caucasus, linking community members or playing an important role in the export of certain goods from the EAEU countries.
At the same time, the question of the ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh remains open. Russia cannot openly support any of the parties to the conflict, and in Armenia itself, Pashinyan is cursed for surrendering positions in Karabakh. Some opposition forces in Yerevan believe that it is necessary to involve the West so that Armenia can gain room for maneuver and enlist the support of the world community in upholding the right of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to live separately from Azerbaijan.
True, the idea of creating a parallel negotiating platform based on Western European countries looks unconvincing. Brussels has no real leverage over the situation in the Transcaucasus. Azerbaijan and Turkey standing behind it will not listen to the European Union with its main violin - France under no circumstances. Therefore, Moscow remains the only external force capable of somehow influencing the further development of events in the region in a positive manner.
But what Putin and Russia can do conceptually in the situation with Nagorno-Karabakh is still not very clear. Yes, Moscow can contribute to the next freeze of the conflict, even for five or even ten years, but the problem will remain unresolved and sooner or later will again remind of itself with another round of conflict. In the meantime, olive branches as a symbol of peace have become a gift from the President of Russia to the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Will these branches grow in real life or will they dry out in the near future? ..
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