(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Fatima Latifova
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The long-standing Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict in the South
Caucasus took a completely different direction in the 2020s,
bringing new developments to the region. In 2020, the Azerbaijani
army launched a counter-offensive operation against Armenian
provocations and liberated Garabagh in just 44 days. In September
2023, a one-day local anti-terror operation neutralised separatist
Armenian forces in the region.
These events attracted the attention of other powerful countries
to the South Caucasus. The Garabagh conflict, once thought to have
no resolution, is no longer considered a "problem." The ongoing
peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, particularly the
meeting of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Almaty in
May, indicate that a new era might begin in the South Caucasus
after peace.
The Baku-Yerevan relations have changed the balance not only
between the two countries but also among all countries interested
in the Caspian region. Armenia, which had cold relations with
Turkiye due to the conflict, informed Ankara about recognising
Palestine as a state before notifying its old ally, Iran. Thus, a
new phase in inter-country relations began in the region. Russia,
which had always supported Armenia, chose to remain impartial
during the Garabagh conflict and did not back Yerevan. Official
Yerevan voiced its protest in Moscow by refusing to participate in
CSTO meetings.
Armenia's leadership, despite feeling threatened in terms of
security, managed to attract the attention of the European Union
and the United States. The Western alliance, which aims to squeeze
Russia in various regions and reduce its sphere of influence, began
to use the tension in Armenia-Russia relations to its advantage,
leading to the presence of Western forces in the South Caucasus.
The EU's monitoring mission on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border can be
considered the beginning of this plan.
It's worth noting that during the activity of this mission,
which involved more than 200 members, the Armenian army repeatedly
violated the ceasefire and occasionally provoked Azerbaijan, trying
to incite a reaction. However, the representatives of the
monitoring mission did not record these incidents, leading to
Azerbaijan being portrayed as an aggressive state. During the
presidential elections in Azerbaijan in February this year, the
Azerbaijani leadership was criticised for "undermining democracy,"
and claims were made that Armenians voluntarily leaving Azerbaijani
territories were subjected to ethnic cleansing. This proved that
these forces would never operate within the framework of justice in
the region.
Recently, the balance of power among the presidential candidates
dominating the US agenda has prompted Washington to strengthen its
relations with Armenia. The Biden administration, in its attempt to
squeeze Russia in the region, has set out to create problems before
leaving office. This is because the most supported presidential
candidate is Donald Trump. The core of Trump's unusual policy is to
strengthen the US economy and relations, which increases the
likelihood that his return to power could normalise relations with
Russia.
It seems that the Biden administration, faced with these facts,
is making a final move by sending a message of support to the
Armenian army. The news that a US military representative will
operate in the Armenian Ministry of Defence is current. US Deputy
Secretary of State Uzra Zeya described this step as a strategic
phase in US-Armenia relations.
In a comment for Azernews on the issue,
military expert Azad Isazade stated that the US aims to extricate
Armenia from Russian influence.
“Undoubtedly, Washington's primary goal is to remove Yerevan
from Moscow's influence. It is already clear that US security
agencies have been operating in Armenia for a long time and
ensuring Pashinyan's security," he noted.
The expert mentioned that the US wants to show the international
community that Russia will strike Armenia through Azerbaijan.
“The US intends to create a new trend. By drawing the world's
attention to the region, it hints that any action Russia takes
against Armenia will be done through Azerbaijan. The reality,
however, is that Azerbaijan currently has no intention of taking
any military action against Armenia,” Isazade said.
The expert recalled that Azerbaijan has only worked and will
continue to work to restore its sovereignty.
“Azerbaijan's main goal is to ensure its security and restore
its sovereignty. Official Baku is currently focusing on
reconstruction efforts in Garabagh and considers the country's
development its primary objective.”
Interestingly, Washington, which lost its mediation rights last
November and apologised to the Azerbaijani leadership for James
O'Brien's threatening statements, wanted to resume its mediation
activities. The meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and
Armenia during the NATO summit was an indication of this
desire.
Washington's renewed special interest in Armenia could
contribute to Russia's plans but will undoubtedly strain
Azerbaijan-US relations again. The 907th amendment to the "Freedom
Support Act" adopted in 1992 at the initiative of the Armenian
lobby, shows that the US can never act within the principles of
justice. This amendment vetoed direct state aid from the US to
Azerbaijan. Because, with this amendment, Washington provided
additional support to the occupying Armenia, which brutally killed
tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis and destroyed its environment,
cities, and villages.
Now, Biden's administration's attempt to showcase its last power
against Russia and remind the region of its presence will not
prevent Joe Biden from leaving the presidency, nor will it pose any
threat to the region. With this move, the US simply reminds
everyone of its decades-long hypocritical and unjust policies.
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