Could the demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border mark the end of a 100-year conflict?

Armenia and Azerbaijan have initiated the process of demarcating their common borders, marking a significant step for the two countries that have a history of conflict in the Caucasus region spanning over a century. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of the Interior announced that experts have started clarifying coordinates based on a geodesic study, while Armenia’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed the demarcation work without transferring any of Armenia’s territory to Azerbaijan.

The decision by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to return four border towns to Azerbaijan, captured during a war in the 1990s, led to protests by Armenians fearing isolation and loss of property. Protests erupted in various regions of Armenia, with concerns over border disputes and the need to avoid further conflict with Azerbaijan. The two countries, former Soviet republics, are using Soviet-era maps as the basis for demarcating borders.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have a history of bloody wars, with Armenia emerging victorious in the 1990s conflict and Azerbaijan winning in 2020. After its defeat in 2020, Armenia had to cede parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. In September 2022, Azerbaijan launched a swift attack leading to the surrender of Armenian separatists and regaining control over Nagorno-Karabakh. The demarcation of borders is seen as a crucial step in preventing further conflicts between the two countries.