Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Treaty

General Studies Paper-2

Context: Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a historic U.S.-brokered peace agreement at the White House, ending decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh

• It is located within the international borders of Azerbaijan.
• It is in the South Caucasus region between eastern Europe and western Asia, spanning the southern part of the Caucasus mountains that roughly includes modern-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
• The Armenians are Christians, while Azeris are Muslims.

What is the Dispute?

• Nagorno-Karabakh, historically part of the Armenian Kingdom, was ruled by empires like the Ottomans, Persians, and Russians.
• Tsarist Russia controlled the South Caucasus during the 19th century, but its influence declined after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
• The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict dates back nearly a century, originating during World War I when Ottoman and Azeri forces targeted ethnic Armenians in the South Caucasus.
• Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region within Azerbaijan, became a key flashpoint, rooted in ethnic, religious, and geopolitical tensions.
• As the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh declared independence, leading to a war that lasted until 1994 and caused around 30,000 deaths.
• A Russia-brokered ceasefire followed, but borders remained unsettled despite international peace efforts.
• In 2020, Azerbaijan launched a successful offensive, regaining surrounding territories with support from Turkey and Pakistan.
• Another offensive in 2023 allowed Azerbaijan to claim full control.

Key Outcomes of recent deal

• Cessation of Hostilities: The peace deal ends nearly 35 years of tensions and paves the way for regional stability and development.
• Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP): It includes reopening key transport routes and creating the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia.
• S. Exclusive Development Rights: The U.S. won’t send soldiers, but it will have the exclusive right to develop and manage the route, likely with American companies involved.

India’s Strategic Interest

• Relations with Armenia : India has deep historical and cultural ties with Armenia, dating back millennia.
  • The two countries share strong modern relations, including a $250 million defence deal in 2022.
  • Armenia also supports India’s positions on Kashmir and the UN Security Council.
• Connectivity Interest: Strategically, the South Caucasus region, including Armenia and Azerbaijan, is key to India’s connectivity goals with Russia and Europe via the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which India hopes to strengthen through Chabahar Port.