Experts stress necessity for Armenia to embrace border demarcation with Azerbaijan A crucial path to lasting peace

The border delimitation and demarcation process between Baku and Yerevan proceeds steadily at the official level, yet faces challenges on the ground in Armenia. The vehement opposition from revanchist factions, including the Karabakh clan and the Church, suggests internal forces seeking to hinder dialogue between our nations. Additionally, there's discontent with the successful peaceful diplomacy between Baku and Yerevan, notably in Western countries, particularly France.

Could the protests in Armenia disrupt the peace agenda? Why does the border determination process between Azerbaijan and Armenia trigger such reactions? These inquiries were directed to foreign political analysts by a correspondent from Caliber.Az.

Russia-based InoSMI's columnist Dmitry Babich has expressed hope that the peace processes in the region will bring about a lasting peace, where there will be no more gunfire and no more loss of life. The resolution of the Karabakh problem by Azerbaijan marks a positive start, and it is hoped that military actions will never be repeated.

Babich believes that the reasonable and responsible politicians in Baku and Yerevan today will solve their disputes peacefully and not repeat the mistakes of 1987-88. Russia welcomes the upcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Almaty. Babich noted that Russia has no jealousy towards Kazakhstan in this regard.

He reminded that Russia once called the peace process in Syria the "Astana process," and Almaty holds a significant place as the location where the territories that have returned to Azerbaijan and those that will be returned as a result of negotiations were noted in the Almaty Declaration of 1991. The use of this document can help resolve many disputed situations on the territory of the former Soviet Union.

However, Babich expressed concern that the Armenian opposition is determined to play its own game, which is aggravating the already tense situation between Baku and Yerevan.

German journalist and political scientist Yevgeny Kudryats believes that the Armenian opposition is taking advantage of the border delimitation and demarcation process for their gain. He suggests that the opposition is using this issue to gain attention and increase its popularity among the people. The situation is already tense, and the opposition is using it as a way to create further unrest.

Kudryats suggests that the West's seemingly restrained response to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is more complex than it appears. The West is not unified on this issue; for example, France has a significant Armenian diaspora that President Macron must take into account. Meanwhile, Türkiye, a NATO member, supports Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan's President recently conducted successful negotiations in Germany. Despite this, the West remains interested in maintaining stability in the region, which necessitates a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. While there are challenges in delimiting and demarcating the border, this process cannot be delayed. Armenia must recognize that peace hinges on demarcation, and a peace agreement must be swiftly signed while conditions are favourable. Therefore, concrete deadlines should be established for the demarcation process. Everyone in Armenia must grasp that peace cannot be attained without it.