Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Management

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorny-Karabakh (NK) area has not stopped since the ceasefire between the two in May 1994. The history of conflict can be traced back to the end of World War I and the history of culture even in the context of Russian Emperor Empire (Crisis Group, 2007). For Armenia, this issue is the question of the self-determination rights of the majority of Armenians living in that area. For Azerbaijan this is a matter of territorial integrity (Crisis Group, 2007). Because the area is actually independent but it is internationally regarded as part of Azerbaijan.

Looking at the demographics data of these two countries today, the strange nature of the conflict is revealed. The population of Armenia is about 3 million - the population of Azerbaijan is about 10 million. In addition, the per capita GDP per capita of Azerbaijan is almost twice as much as GDP per capita, as its oil is abundant. The defense budget of Azerbaijan is also beyond Armenia's state budget. Armenia claimed that 91 soldiers were killed in the conflict, but the US State Department estimated that there were approximately 350 people dead in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan officials insist that 31 battle fatalities are considered untrustworthy. Several helicopters and at least 14 tanks were also lost. Despite mass casualties, conflict is considered today to be the most successful military attack in Azerbaijan.

In this article I will detail the historical issues emphasizing the current relationship between Azerbaijan and Armenia and briefly point out the influence of geography on history, the source of hostility of Armenia - Azerbaijan, and the policy of Soviet - Russia. To study the fundamental reason behind this conflict, this article shows different interpretations of history. With regard to the basic theme of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, readers will be directed to discover the regional dynamics of this conflict and to explore the factors proposed by scholars and staff. In order to explain the progress of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, this document emphasizes the views and benefits of external forces. In brief, this paper also shows the policies of several countries that want to influence Azerbaijan's great energy and the outcome of the Karabak conflict.