The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is once again the scene of armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Hundreds of people have already lost their lives and observers worry that escalating violence might lead to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.
I’m joined today by Kevork Oskanian, Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University Birmingham. Kevork studies the complicated power dynamics in the Caucasus in the wake of crumbling Russian and Ottoman empires. He helps us understand the origins of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabach and why Armenia and Azerbaijan have gone to war once more.
You can follow Kevork on Twitter: @DrKevorkO.
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Music: ‘Pollution‘ by Dexter Britain (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Thank you very much for this wonderfully balanced analysis of the history and situation today. It comes as breath of fresh air! Hoping the siege of NKR/Artsakh ends soon.
I had expected more from this podcast-but unfortunately once before the issue is presented one-sided. Of course, both of the speakers are Armenians by origin. If you want to give a balanced view on this conflict invite someone neither Azerbaijani nor Armenian. Both sides are brainwashed since their childhood. Today’s conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan goes beyond the Nagorniy Karabakh. Why do you hide it from your public? Armenia also occupied 7 regions of Azerbaijan during the war in 90s which have nothing to do with Nagorniy Karabakh – they are NOT contentious regions – they have always belonged to Azerbaijan ; and now the latter is trying to get them back. You do not need to be an expert on the topic. Just look into four UN resolutions. Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_Security_Council_resolutions_on_the_Nagorno-Karabakh_conflict
You are welcome.
Read some work by Thomas de Waal and other scholars who have no ties with Armenian or Azerbaijani gov or people.
Interesting that you should bring our so-called origins into this. I can only speak for myself, but I was born in Iran, moved to the Netherlands when I was three, am a Dutch citizen, hardly speak any Armenian with any of my relatives (of whom only one lives in Armenia) and have visited Armenia once in my life as a tourist. But I assume when your name ends in -ian people have their priors about where you stand. Kevork spoke in the podcast of toxic nationalisms in both countries, forced displacement and ethnic cleansing in both countries in the past and similar prospects for both countries in the future, liberation vs occupation, sovereignty vs self-determination, and so on. But thanks for sharing a wiki. You really put us in our place there!