Baku Rejects Armenia's Request for Guarantees for Armenians

The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan rejected Armenia's request for special security guarantees for approximately 120,000 Armenians residing in Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that they are "sufficiently" protected. The Republic of Armenia made this request ahead of a new round of peace negotiations. Some Armenians have accused Azerbaijan of attempting to carry out "ethnic cleansing," which has led to the blocking of goods and energy transit routes. Baku denies these allegations. Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis for over a century, particularly since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Baku seized areas previously controlled by Armenians after intense fighting in 2020. Since then, Armenia and Azerbaijan have had disagreements over a peace treaty to agree on borders. According to Reuters, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted last month acknowledging that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan but seeking guarantees from Baku for its ethnic Armenian population. However, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister stated in a recent interview with Reuters that such guarantees are unnecessary and deemed the request an interference in Azerbaijan's affairs. He mentioned that Azerbaijan's constitution and several international conventions to which Baku is a party provide all necessary conditions to guarantee the rights of this population. He stated that if the Armenian ethnic group integrates into Azerbaijani society and government structures, they can use their language, receive education in their language, and preserve their culture. Armenians in the region have expressed concern about the fate of hundreds of churches, historical monuments, and Armenian Christian cemeteries, as well as their cultural affairs under Azerbaijani control. Additionally, Washington hosted the foreign ministers of both countries earlier this year, focusing on recent disputes, including the installation of a checkpoint by Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin corridor. On May 14, the U.S. Secretary of State stated that they had made "significant progress" towards a peace agreement. Antony Blinken noted that the two sides had discussed very difficult issues and made tangible progress towards a sustainable peace agreement. He also added that a peace agreement is "within reach." Armenia and Azerbaijan have faced each other in two major wars over Nagorno-Karabakh since the collapse of the Soviet Union and gaining independence in 1991. Although this region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, its residents are predominantly Armenian. Despite years of mediation efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two countries have yet to reach a comprehensive and sustainable peace agreement to resolve unresolved issues such as border determination and prisoner exchanges. The U.S. has expressed serious concern over the execution of Armenian prisoners by Azerbaijani military forces. Senior U.S. senators have urged Azerbaijan to end the violence in Nagorno-Karabakh. The EU welcomed the latest round of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Pashinyan stated that Armenia "conditionally" recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. Blinken told the Armenian Prime Minister that "direct dialogue and diplomacy" is the only way to achieve sustainable peace.