By Saad Hasan
Azerbaijani government officials meet Armenian residents of Karabakh on Thursday in what’s seen as a historic moment in South Caucasus.
The meeting, which is taking place in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh, comes following a Russian-mediated deal that ended Azerbaijan's anti-terror military operation against Armenian separatists.
A delegation of the ethnic Armenian population of Karabakh arrived in the city of Yevlakh to meet with the Azerbaijani authorities. The Armenian representatives are accompanied by the Russian peacekeepers, Azerbaijani news agency Trend reported.
The Armenian separatists have been occupying Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, since 1994.
Under the deal, Armenian separatists have agreed to surrender their weapons and dissolve their illegal regime, Karabakh.
Anti-terror operation
Earlier this week, the Azerbaijani military launched a campaign against Armenian armed groups in what Baku said was an anti-terror operation. Armenian separatists were no match for Azerbaijani forces who swiftly brought the opponent to their knees within 24 hours.
This is the first time in nearly three decades that Armenian residents will meet Azerbaijani government representatives to discuss how they can be integrated into the wider Azerbaijani society and its system of governance.
If the process goes off smoothly, it would be a huge victory for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who has on several occasions requested Armenian residents to hold such a direct dialogue.
Karabakh is a strategic region of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia and Iran. For years, it has been a source of tension between Baku and Yerevan.
In 2020, a war broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which supplies weapons and other aid to the separatists. With the help of Turkish-made drones, Baku emerged victorious in the 44-day conflict, which is known as the Second Karabakh War. More than 6,000 people including civilians from both sides were killed.
Since then an uneasy peace had prevailed in Karabakh where Russia had deployed around 2,000 peacekeepers to maintain the status quo.
But Azerbaijan says that stability was put to test after a series of events including the September 9 elections, which Armenian separatists illegally organised in Karabakh to form a government. International community including the US, the UK and the EU rejected those elections.
Baku has also complained that Armenian separatists have been planting landmines in the region that have killed several Azerbaijani troops and civilians.
Widening crack in Armenia and Russia relations
This month Armenian troops held a joint military drill with the US inside Armenia. Russia has been Armenia’s oldest ally.
The widening crack in Armenia and Russia relations was evident when Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent remarks said Karabakh was Azerbaijan’s internal matter.
For many Azerbaijanis, Karabakh is a deeply emotional matter.
“I was six years old when Armenian armed groups forced my family to flee Khankendi, the most populous city in Karabakh,” says Anar Susali, an Azerbaijani journalist.
“My earliest childhood memory is of a mulberry tree in front of our home. It was in a small garden and we’d all sit and have lunch there. We’ll be able to visit it once again.”
Saad Hasan is a staff writer at TRT World.@msaadhasan
