Armenia and Azerbaijan agree ‘not to use force’

An encouraging signal for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh. On Monday, October 31, Armenia and Azerbaijan, who are fighting over this enclave located on their border, have agreed to “do not use force” following a tripartite summit organized by Russia. This announcement comes a month after border clashes that killed 286 people and ended in a ceasefire closely watched by Moscow.

At the end of this meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped for a “normalization” of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In a joint declaration adopted at the end of the summit, Yerevan and Baku underlined “the importance of active preparations for the conclusion of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to ensure a lasting and long-term peace in the region”.

The organization of this tripartite summit by Russia owes nothing to chance. Since the winter war of 2020, which left 6,500 dead on both sides, hundreds of Russian soldiers are still mobilized to maintain peace in the region. By reaching this agreement, Russia, under the fire of criticism after having invaded Ukraine on February 24, regains its traditional role of arbiter in this unstable region. And this despite the recent involvement of new intermediaries in this dialogue, such as Turkey, historical ally of Azerbaijan, but also the Europeans.

Last August, the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the French President Emmanuel Macron had indeed organized negotiations between the Armenian Heads of State andAzerbaijani. Russia was subsequently accused of wanting to “destabilize” the peace process, comments deemed “unacceptable” by Vladimir Putin. The Russian peacekeeping mission could in any case last several years. On the Armenian side, President Nikol Pashinian has already made it known that he was ready to extend the presence of Russian soldiers for up to 20 years