Azerbaijan and Armenia announce prisoner swap and aim for peace deal
According to a joint statement from the Azerbaijani state news agency AZERTAC, Azerbaijan will release 32 prisoners in exchange for two high-profile captives heading to Armenia.
"Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on the opportunity for a historic peace in the region," reads the joint statement. "Both nations confirm their intention to normalize relations and draft a peace treaty based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity." The statement adds, "This breakthrough follows talks between the offices of Azerbaijan's president and Armenia's prime minister."
The joint statement also mentions the agreement to take practical steps to build trust between the two countries. Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, called the prisoner exchange a "trust-building measure," as both nations work towards a peace agreement. "We commend Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for their cooperation to lay the groundwork for a more peaceful and prosperous future for people in the South Caucasus," said Miller in a statement. "The United States will continue to strongly support efforts towards a sustainable and dignified peace."
Charles Michel, the EU Council President, expressed his encouragement for swift conclusions to the peace agreement. "The establishment and deepening of the bilateral dialogue between the two parties was a central goal of the EU-led Brussels process. Today's progress is a crucial step," Michel said in a statement.
Neighboring countries have been entangled in a decade-long conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Caucasus. In September, Azerbaijan regained control of the Armenian enclave on its territory following a 24-hour blitz offensive. Nagorno-Karabakh is regarded as part of Azerbaijan by the international community, but it has been under the control of Armenian separatists for decades.
Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the year but maintains differing viewpoints about the enclave's future government. The most recent progress in prisoner exchange and relationship normalization comes as representatives from both nations also take part in COP28 climate change negotiations in Dubai.
In addition, the statement revealed that Armenia would withdraw from organizing the annual UN-supported climate summit next year and hope other countries would support Azerbaijan's bid to host the COP29 climate summit in 2024. However, the process of choosing the host country is currently unclear, as Armenia has been blocking Azerbaijan's bid in a United Nations vote.
Azerbaijan maintains close ties with Russia and has considerable resources in oil and gas, with both sectors accounting for nearly half of its GDP and over 90% of its exports. This energy dependence has raised concerns about Azerbaijan's role in regional stability.
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Insights
- The exchange of prisoners between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a significant step towards building trust between the two nations. The prisoner swap includes returning 44 Armenian captives to Yerevan and 12 prisoners to Baku.
- Peacemaking talks between the two countries are ongoing, with both sides presenting requests and concerns. Azerbaijan is demanding that Armenia remove territorial claims from its constitution, while Armenia proposes deploying third-party forces along the border and withdrawing complaints from legal institutions.
- The successful resolution of these issues, including economic, trade, and diplomatic engagements, is essential for regional stability. The peace agreement could have significant implications for the stability of the South Caucasus, but challenges remain unresolved, such as the deployment of third-party forces and the withdrawal of complaints.
