Foes Azerbaijan and Armenia agree 'historic' return of villages
POLITICS 20 April 2024 - 12:28
Armenia has agreed to return several villages to Azerbaijan in what both sides said on Friday (19 April) was an important milestone as they edge towards a peace deal after fighting two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada posted on X that Armenia would return four villages near the countries’ shared border that had been “under occupation” since the early 1990s, and called it a “long-awaited historic event,” Euractiv.com reports.
‼️Long-awaited historic event: 📢
— Aykhan Hajizada (@Aykhanh) April 19, 2024
As a result of the 8th meeting of the State Commissions on the delimitation of the state border between #Azerbaijan and #Armenia, Armenia has agreed to return 4 villages of Azerbaijan that were under the occupation since early 1990s. pic.twitter.com/qoHA9urFKv
In Armenia, the state news agency quoted the prime minister’s office as saying: “In this process, the Republic of Armenia receives a reduction in risks associated with border delimitation and security.”
It said the handover in practice involved only “two and a half villages” because Azerbaijan already partly controlled the settlements involved, but added that the demarcation of the border was a “significant event”.
The settlements are deserted but are strategically important as they are close to Armenia’s main highway north towards the border with Georgia, through which much of its trade is done, and to the pipeline through which it receives gas from Russia.
The agreement was reached at a meeting on the two countries’ border, chaired by their deputy prime ministers.
Azerbaijan has been demanding the villages’ return as a precondition for a peace deal after more than three decades of conflict, mostly centred on the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Momentum shifted dramatically in favour of Azerbaijan last September when its forces staged a lightning offensive to regain control of Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians had enjoyed de facto independence since the mid-1990s. Virtually the entire population of 100,000 people fled to Armenia within days.
Russia posted peacekeeping troops in Nagorno-Karabakh after the last major war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, but said this week it had begun withdrawing them. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Russia, distracted by its war in Ukraine, risks losing influence in the Caucasus region which it sees as its historic sphere of influence. The United States and the European Union have also been pressing the two sides to reach a peace deal.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Critical F-35 upgrade deferred, 2024 production slashed by 27-50%
01 May 2024 - 09:05
|
2
|
Factory burst into flames in Germany PHOTO / VIDEO
03 May 2024 - 16:19
|
3
|
Armenian Church sparks controversy amid handover of villages to Azerbaijan Unrest & dissent in Armenia
30 April 2024 - 18:02
|
4
|
EU aid to Armenia stalled as Hungary pushes for Azerbaijan's inclusion Geopolitical tensions revealed
02 May 2024 - 17:41
|
5
|
“Russian fertiliser is the new gas” for Europe, top producer warns
30 April 2024 - 16:46
|
European Commission's rep: COP29 in Azerbaijan - recognition of activity in renewable energy sources
03 May 2024 - 18:21
Turkish airstrikes eliminate 32 PKK terrorists in Iraq
03 May 2024 - 18:06
Yemeni Ansar Allah movement’s leader announces preparation for new round of escalation
03 May 2024 - 17:41
MFA: Media in Azerbaijan as free as in UK
03 May 2024 - 17:26
Profiling Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan – Tavush region protest leader
03 May 2024 - 17:20
Will Azerbaijan's diplomatic efforts bring change?
UNESCO's crucial crossroad03 May 2024 - 17:13
Kazakhstan steps in bridging Armenia-Azerbaijan divide
03 May 2024 - 17:11
Future of engine transition - hydrogen or electricity?
Caliber.Az on YouTube03 May 2024 - 17:05
Transit traffic through Azerbaijan increases 3 times
03 May 2024 - 16:56
US-Japan missile development project to cost over $3 billion
03 May 2024 - 16:37
Factory burst into flames in Germany
PHOTO / VIDEO03 May 2024 - 16:19
Senators meet with International Criminal Court’s reps over concerns about possible Israel arrest warrants
03 May 2024 - 16:04
Tensions escalate over Georgia’s law on foreign agents
Political crisis deepens03 May 2024 - 16:00
Taliban plan regional energy trade hub with Russian oil in mind
03 May 2024 - 15:49
bp investments in Azerbaijan reach $85 billion
03 May 2024 - 15:34
EU ambassador: Mine clearance - one of priorities for Azerbaijan
03 May 2024 - 15:19
G7 draws up plans to backstop debt-raising for Ukraine with Russian assets
03 May 2024 - 15:04
Climate Change Director: ADB holding talks with Azerbaijan to support COP29
03 May 2024 - 14:49
bp opens ICT laboratory in Azerbaijan
03 May 2024 - 14:34
France, Japan to start talks on reciprocal troops pact
03 May 2024 - 14:34
Azerbaijani foreign minister travels to Gambia for 15th Islamic Summit
03 May 2024 - 14:25
US and Saudi Arabia nearing agreement on security pact, sources say
03 May 2024 - 14:19
Azerbaijani deputy defense minister visits Iran
03 May 2024 - 14:10
Turkmenistan – China energy partnership in Central Asia
Major change?03 May 2024 - 14:10
European Commission official credits Baku-Yerevan peace efforts & border delimitation progress
03 May 2024 - 13:55
World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue's participants arrive in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh
03 May 2024 - 13:49
ADB highly appreciates Azerbaijan’s initiatives
03 May 2024 - 13:34
Azerbaijan's rising profile in French politics, neo-colonial critique
France's defensive posture03 May 2024 - 13:30
Eight soldiers hurt in alleged Israeli strike that causes “material losses”
03 May 2024 - 13:19
Official: EU- Team Europe Initiative supporting Azerbaijan’s efforts in humanitarian demining project
03 May 2024 - 13:04
Azerbaijani servicemen successfully fulfill assigned tasks at EFES-2024 exercises in Türkiye
PHOTO03 May 2024 - 12:49
Azerbaijani President receives Saudi Arabia's energy minister
PHOTO03 May 2024 - 12:34
Azerbaijani official: International cooperation plays important role in mine clearance
03 May 2024 - 12:19
Azerbaijan hosts European Cup in Rhythmic Gymnastics
03 May 2024 - 12:04
UK’s Foreign Secretary in Kyiv promises Ukraine aid for “as long as it takes”
03 May 2024 - 11:49
Turkic states promote brotherhood, mutual assistance
Baku-hosted events contribute to cooperation03 May 2024 - 11:35
ExxonMobil negotiates massive LNG deal with Türkiye
03 May 2024 - 11:33
Meet woman breaking down barriers in space industry leadership at Azerbaijan’s Azercosmos
VIDEO03 May 2024 - 11:18
Turkish parliament passes bill on LNG sales as part of gas hub project
03 May 2024 - 11:03
US accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine
03 May 2024 - 10:50