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azerbaijani president, armenian prime minister travel to europe

Azerbaijani President, Armenian Prime Minister Travel to Europe

Author: Dante Schulz

Dec 20, 2021

Image source: The Official Website of the President of Azerbaijan

On December 14, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan convened at a trilateral discussion with the president of the European Council in Brussels. The two agreed to further border demarcations agreements on the controversial Nagorno-Karabakh region. On the same day, President Aliyev traveled to NATO headquarters to discuss the ongoing security situation in the South Caucasus with the organization’s ambassadors. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President Aliyev hosted a joint press conference where the two affirmed their support for lasting peace in the region and the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Aliyev and Pashinyan’s meetings in Brussels demonstrate their willingness to incorporate Europe into regional discussions on security relations between the two countries. This newly fostered relationship could set the stage for Armenia normalizing relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. At the very least, European involvement in regional discussions would add an additional stakeholder to the conversations, which could precipitate a stronger foundation for stability in the South Caucasus.

While Azerbaijan is not an active member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), it has maintained close ties with the group since its independence from the Soviet Union. In 1992, Azerbaijan acceded to the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, which has since been renamed the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). The organization convenes member states and partner countries in the region for constructive dialogue. In addition, Azerbaijan joined the Partnership for Peace Program, which has solidified its bilateral relationship with the organization since 1994. In 2010, Azerbaijan hosted the EAPC to discuss armaments reduction, showcasing its longstanding ties to the organization. Western-led organizations have a documented history of engaging in the region, which is likely to prove beneficial at the negotiating table.

This visit to Europe comes two months after the NATO Partnerships Directorate visited Baku to meet with the Ministry of Defense and on the precipice of mounting tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the directorate’s visit to Azerbaijan in October, an Azerbaijani soldier was killed in ongoing skirmishes in Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian forces denied allegations from the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry that their soldier was shot by Armenian sniper fire, instead blaming Azerbaijani forces for wounding six of its soldiers at an outpost. Fighting continued into November with both sides accusing the other of firing shots aimed at their positions in Nagorno-Karabakh. These skirmishes and incursions have continued despite a truce brokered by Russia to end the 2020 war between the two countries. The European Union hopes to witness a durable peace agreement in the South Caucasus to safeguard its energy and economic interests, but it has remained largely neutral in the conflict.

The trilateral discussion in Brussels revitalizes European involvement in the conflict. Both Pashinyan and Aliyev agreed to restore railway lines, border customs, and regional communication links. The EU offered to provide an expert consultative group to expedite the demarcation and delimitation process between the two countries. However, disagreements over the creation of transport corridors have placed the negotiations in a deadlock. Before the normalization of relations, Armenia would have to approve Azerbaijan’s request to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via the Zangezur Corridor, which cuts through Armenian territory. Similarly, Armenia would hope to obtain railway access to Russia through Azerbaijani territory.

Previous EU attempts to solidify a peace agreement in the South Caucasus have faltered and disinterest to invite EU delegates to the discussion table have mostly alienated Europe from the conflict. However, the reinvigoration of European-Azerbaijani relations could bring the European Union back into the fold. Natural gas exports from the South Caucasus have once again elevated European interest and made establishing peace in the region more critical. In November 2020, Europe celebrated the completion of the final leg of the Southern Gas Corridorthat is projected to transport 16 bcm of gas from Azerbaijan’s offshore Shah Deniz field to southern Italy for further transit. The ambitious project was designed to alleviate dependence on Russian natural gas exports to power Europe. The Southern Gas Corridor is particularly salient after Germany announced it was withdrawing its approval for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in November 2021, which was forecasted to double the country’s reliance on Russian gas imports. Therefore, providing stability in the South Caucasus is crucial for the European Union’s energy security.

President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan’s European travels evince their commitment to reinforcing the South Caucasus in the Western foreign policy agenda. NATO and the EU have remained significant players in the conflict and are significantly important as Azerbaijan and Armenia transition their foreign policy orientation westward. The inauguration of the Southern Gas Corridor, high-level official visits from European continental organizations, and continuous assistance from Azerbaijani armed forces abroad have spotlighted Azerbaijan in Europe. European involvement could continue to provide a platform for fruitful discussions between the two countries in a volatile situation.


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