Nagorno-Karabakh: Ethnic Conflict or Geopolitics?

A clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Mountainous Karabakh has developed into one of the most violent conflicts re-emerged in late 1980s in Eurasia. More than a decade earlier, President Carter's advisor on National Security Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote: "The ethnic question in USSR will apparently gain sharper forms, than racial crisis in United States." Indeed, the war over Nagorno- Karabakh had by 1996 produced about 1,700,000 refugees and internally displaced people and killed over 55,000. Though, the cease-fire agreement between Azerbaijani and Armenian sides was achieved in 1994, the consequences of this war still remain unsolved, creating therefore a great potential for the regional instability. Both countries have experienced a tremendous negative impact on their economies, thus unable to unlock the full potential of the regional development and yield benefits from the Caspian oil and gas.

Autorentext

This study explores the nature of dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Mountainous Garabakh by theorizing over various approaches in analyzing root causes. Author's interest in theories of nationalism and geopolitics are well reflected in this publication to offer recommendations over peaceful resolution of this South Caucasian knot.