The First Day of Peace Talks Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Hosted by Germany

On Wednesday, the German government hosted the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia for a two-day peace dialogue between these two northern neighbors of Iran and the two republics that gained independence after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The Berlin negotiations come about five months after Azerbaijan regained control of the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area that is considered part of Azerbaijan's territory but had long been under the control of Armenian separatists. According to Reuters, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated at the beginning of the talks that both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have expressed readiness for peace negotiations. Aliyev was not in favor of foreign intervention for mediation, but following Baerbock's visit to both countries in November and the German Chancellor's meeting with the leaders of both countries on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference this month, the talks were finally scheduled. The aim of the negotiations is to peacefully resolve the long-standing tensions between the two countries, which have engaged in military conflicts multiple times over the past decades, with the first conflict starting in 1988 and the most recent occurring last month. In December, the two neighbors exchanged a number of war prisoners as part of a joint agreement to reach a sustainable peace treaty; an agreement that the European Union welcomed as a 'major step' towards peace in the region. According to another part of that agreement, the self-proclaimed 'Artsakh', which was declared by Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region over 30 years ago, will officially dissolve on January 1, 2024. Border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have resulted in an increase in casualties, with four Armenian soldiers reported dead. Armenia's envoy to the European Union has called for 'decisive action' from the West against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has abandoned its plan for a land corridor through Armenia. Aliyev raised the Azerbaijani flag in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia has urged the United Nations to prevent the 'ethnic cleansing' of Armenians by Azerbaijan.