‘Reckless, dangerous disregard for diplomacy’: ‘Azerbaijan’s victory validates authoritarian power’

Arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan said Thursday they would exchange prisoners of war and work towards normalising their relations, in a joint statement hailed by the European Union and the United States as a breakthrough after three decades of conflict over disputed territory. The Caucasus neighbours have long fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan reclaimed after a lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in September. Both countries have said a peace agreement could be signed by the end of the year, but peace talks — mediated separately by the European Union, the United States and Russia — have seen little progress. The two sides agreed in Thursday’s joint statement to seize “a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region”. As Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to take steps towards normalisation, FRANCE 24’s Monte Francis is joined by Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC), an independent think tank in Yerevan, Armenia. He specialises in International relations, with a focus on military security, political analysis and international economics.