Nagorno-Karabakh Dispute: Clashes Continue, Negotiations Being Prepared in America

During the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a drone crashed in the “Minjavan” region. Russia is attempting to bring the conflicting parties back to the negotiation table. The foreign ministers of both conflicting sides want to meet with their American counterpart.

The IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday, October 29 (October 20), citing Ali Amiri Rad, the governor of the border city of Khoda Afarin, that a drone crashed in the village of “Qara Qoch” in the “Minjavan” section on pastoral lands. According to the same report, this incident caused no casualties or material damage, and “military experts are examining the ownership of the drone and its designated area.”

Khoda Afarin is a border city located 210 kilometers northeast of Tabriz and is situated on the edge of the Aras River and on the southern side of the Nagorno-Karabakh war front between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Iranian media say that more than 60 artillery shells have hit Khoda Afarin since the renewed fighting between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh began, and “several drones” have crashed in Iran’s border region.

Three weeks have passed since the renewed fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh began in the surrounding seven regions. On October 18, a ceasefire was established for the second time between the two warring parties. A ceasefire achieved through the efforts of the Minsk Group mediator of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and in Moscow negotiations with the presence of the foreign ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Minsk Group is led by the United States, France, and Russia, which was formed in 1992 to reduce tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding occupied territories.

However, this ceasefire is fragile, and the parties accuse each other of violating it. According to the French news agency, the Armenian army has suffered heavy losses as a result of ceasefire violations. According to Armenian officials, 43 people were killed in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, bringing Armenia’s war casualties to 772 people, 36 of whom are civilians.

Azerbaijan has not yet provided statistics on its human casualties in the recent war. Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, recently said that he will announce the number of victims only after the “critical phase of the crisis” has passed. However, Azerbaijan’s prosecution announced that 61 people were killed.

UN Security Council Calls for Adherence to Ceasefire

The UN Security Council held another meeting to discuss the ongoing battles between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus. A UN diplomat said that in the session on Monday (October 19) in New York, all 15 members of the Council supported UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ request from the warring parties to comply with the new ceasefire.

According to diplomats, Russia, which currently holds the presidency of the UN’s highest body, is preparing an official statement and is asking Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to the negotiation table.

Meetings of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with Mike Pompeo

Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday (October 20) citing the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan that they intend to meet with Mike Pompeo, their American counterpart, on Friday (October 23) in Washington. This meeting is intended to hopefully bring the parties to a solution to end one of the heaviest battles over Nagorno-Karabakh since the 1990s, which has claimed hundreds of lives in recent weeks.

The US State Department has not yet provided an explanation on this matter. However, the scheduled meetings suggest that these negotiations have been planned just before the US presidential elections.

The renewed escalation of war between Azerbaijan and Armenia has increased concerns about the expansion of conflict between regional powers Turkey and Russia, as well as endangering the security of Azerbaijan’s natural gas and oil pipelines.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the dispute between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region began in 1988 and turned into military clashes in 1992. This dispute has not yet reached a peaceful resolution.

Last summer (July), clashes occurred between the forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, resulting in casualties on both sides. After a pause, fighting resumed on September 27 over the disputed region. The Defense Ministry of the Republic of Azerbaijan stated in a statement that Armenia initiated the war, and the Prime Minister of Armenia accused the Republic of Azerbaijan of starting the clashes.

International efforts to peacefully resolve this dispute have so far been unsuccessful.

Source: DW