Understanding the Dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan

On 15 October 2023, President Ilham Aliyev raised Azerbaijan's flag in Stepanakert, the capital of the former de facto Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), an ethnic Armenian political entity, recognised as a sovereign territory of Azerbaijan by the international community. Since the 1990s, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Artsakh, with the support of Armenia, had enjoyed de facto independence, and both the republics had built an integrated socio-economic-political space. The Armenians speak an Indo-European language and adhere to the Armenian Apostolic Church, while the Azeris, the majority of the population of Azerbaijan, speak a Turkic language and adhere to the Twelver Shia Islam. Turkey has been a consistent supporter of Azerbaijan in its quest to integrate Artsakh. In September-November 2020, Azerbaijan defeated Armenia and Artsakh in war, leading to an agreement brokered by Russia. The ethnic Armenians were disarmed, with only Russian peacekeepers to defend them in the region. However, with Russia preoccupied with the War in Ukraine, Azerbaijan decided to fully annex Artsakh on 19-20 September 2023. A population of more than 120,000 ethnic Armenians surrendered, and the majority of them were forced to migrate to Armenia.

On 17 November 2023, the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to ensure the safety of the remaining ethnic Armenian population in the region and allow the safe return of those who migrated to Armenia. Armenia has been very concerned about the lack of support from the international community, especially CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), a collective defence organisation of Armenia, Russia, and four other states. India and France have, since the 2020 war, supplied weapons to Armenia, despite the protests of the Azeri government. Although India has some interests in terms of oil and gas exploration in Azerbaijan and supports its territorial integrity, the Azeri and Turkish support for Pakistan's position in Jammu and Kashmir has led to cold relations with India. India advocates a peaceful resolution of the dispute such that the human rights of ethnic Armenians are not infringed upon.

Published as “Understanding the Dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, VideshNeeti, 1 January 2024, 1 (1): 2.