Armenia-Azerbaijan “Peace Negotiations” Tactics and Goals | October 14, 2022 [EP168]

Posted on Friday, Oct 14, 2022 | Series: cog

Guest:

Topics:

  • Goals and Tactics of Azerbaijan’s Negotiations
  • How did “Corridors” Become a Thing?
  • Russia’s Contributions to the process
  • Options and Scenarios Going Forwards

Episode 168 | Recorded: Friday, October 14, 2022

Show Notes

Armenia-Azerbaijan “Peace Negotiations” Tactics and Goals

Overview

Since the end of the 44-day war Benyamin has advised caution to Armenia’s leadership in negotiating for a so-called “peace” with Azerbaijan, and that any final agreement that leaves out Nagorno Karabakh means that ultimately it will be depopulated of Armenians.

Discussion

Benyamin, on Monday we discussed last week’s geopolitical issues and something stuck in my mind, so that is why we’re back to discuss this one topic today.

You said that we should try to understand that there’s a difference for Azerbaijan between the issue of Karabakh (or Azerbaijan’s demands that Armenia forget about Nagorno Karabakh, accept that NK is Azerbaijan, and should be part of Azerbaijan without any status, or zero status), and the establishment of corridors.

The November 2020 agreement created for Armenia an impression that 2 major demands were equally important and imperative for Azerbaijan: the issue of Nagorno Karabakh, and the issue of corridors (through Syunik). And because Armenia lost the war in 2020, it was put in front of a situation of not being able to reject these demands. But that in fact, the negotiation signal to Armenia was that perhaps it had a choice of rejecting one, and possibly to save face.

You note that this is probably just a negotiating, psychological tactic. Discuss:

  • Goals and Tactics of Azerbaijan’s Negotiations
  • How did “Corridors” Become a Thing?
  • Russia’s Contributions to the process
  • Options and Scenarios Going Forwards

Wrap-up

We hope you found our Conversations on Groong helpful, we invite your feedback and your suggestions. You can find us on most social media and podcast platforms. Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Guests

Benyamin Poghosyan

Benyamin Poghosyan

Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan is a senior fellow at APRI Armenia, a Yerevan based think tank,and the Chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies. He has served as the vice president for research and head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense Research University in Armenia. Dr. Poghosyan was a Distinguished Research Fellow at the US National Defense University College of International Security Affairs. He is a graduate from the US State Department Study of the US Institutes for Scholars 2012 Program on US National Security Policy Making. He holds a PhD in history and is a graduate from the 2006 Tavitian Program on International Relations at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Hosts

Asbed Bedrossian

Asbed Bedrossian

Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast.

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