Name? Nikol Pashinyan
Westphalian identity? Armenian
Age? 45
Why is he in the news? As Prime Minister of Armenia, Pashinyan has had a difficult week as clashes at the border with Azerbaijan have resulted in deaths on both sides; resurfacing a border conflict that has been frozen since 1994 with little to no success of resolution.
Why do we care? As we’ve mentioned (and you’ve hopefully noticed), frozen conflicts are incredibly interesting and the Armenian-Azerbaijan border dispute is no exception with both countries claiming territory and blaming the other for any violence that erupts.
Why should you care? Because Armenia’s foreign minister discussed the current crisis over the phone with the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an often overlooked Russia-led security coalition. Not to mention the fact that Turkey’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement backing Azerbaijan and “its struggle to protect its territorial integrity.” In other words, should the border clash escalate to full out conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan would not be alone.
Who else cares? Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan. Thousands have protested in the capital Baku, demanding Aliyev to deploy the army and go to war against neighboring Armenia. Amidst battling the pandemic, Aliyev must now also deal with his population and the threat of war; both of which will not necessarily calm matters down…
Any further comments? While the U.S, Russia, and the OSCE have all called for a ceasefire between the two countries, tensions continue to rise amongst protestors and leaders alike. As mentioned above, if Armenia and Azerbaijan were to enter into full-scale conflict, regional powers such as Russia and Turkey would most likely also be drawn in as they already compete for geopolitical influence in the region (as evident in a number of other conflicts…). As such, it’s difficult to see Russia as the mediating player they’re attempting to make themselves out to be…sound familiar?
