Peace Negotiations Seek To End Armenia-Azerbaijan’s Endemic Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The most recent iteration of which was in September, when Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive to reclaim the long-disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. More than 100,000 Armenians fled the region in an exodus that amounted to ethnic cleansing, according to Freedom House, an American nonprofit research center.

This is the first time in history that Armenia has no sway in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region where Armenians have lived for centuries. Now, the two nations are negotiating a peace treaty, which Western representatives deem capable of finally bringing stability to the region.

However, Azerbaijan’s terms of the peace treaty demand that Armenia concede land in the Tavush Province and renounce claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. For many, the treaty would cement losses that are too much to move past. There has been significant backlash as powerful opposition movements have argued the peace talks are a form of surrender. They have called for the Armenian government, which they view as weak, to resign.

For villagers in the Tavush Province and the leaders of the opposition, there is a persistent consensus: The terms of the treaty will not bring dignified peace to the region. Some believe that a multilateral border delimitation with international mediators can bring about true peace, while others would prefer to fight and die before ceding more land.

Reporting for this project asks people who have grown up with conflict: What is the price you are willing to pay to prevent more war?