Authors

Gulshan Pashayeva¹;  ¹ Center of Analysis of International Relations, Azerbaidjan

Discussion

The 2020 Second Karabakh war brought to an end almost 30-year-long illegal Armenian occupation leading to the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and an emergence of a new political reality in the region.Following the November 10, 2020 trilateral statement, the Azerbaijani government began the reconstruction and restoration processes in its conflict‑affected territories in order to accelerate the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijani IDPs to their permanent places of residence.Thus, despite the near-complete implementation of both the November 10, 2020 and January 11, 2021 trilateral statements, there are certain unresolved issues which complicate the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In the short term, Armenia’s refusal to provide information about minefield locations, complications in the delineation of the Armenian–Azerbaijani border, misinterpretation by Armenia of the situation concerning the Armenian detainees remaining in Azerbaijan’s custody, politicization of protection of religious and cultural heritage, impediments to opening of transport and economic communications, the raising of the so-called issue of Karabakh’s “status” by Armenia, and a divergence of opinion on the future role of the OSCE Minsk Group are among the most contested. Meanwhile, in the mid-to-long term, the reintegration of both Azerbaijanis and Armenians into Azerbaijan’s newly rebuilt Karabakh economic region should be considered.