Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and India
06 Oct 2023 8 mins Download PDF
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and India
Why in the News?
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh is called one of the “frozen conflicts” of the world.
- Azerbaijan launched an offensive on Sep 19 and within 24 hours, declared victory over the separatist province of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- The ethnic Armenian enclave is said to dissolve on January 1, 2024.
The Conflict over the decades:
- Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region officially recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but has 1.2 lakh population who are predominantly ethnic Armenian, having close cultural, social, and historical ties with Armenia.
- Basically, Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan.
- The Armenians are Christians, while Azeris are Muslims.
- The conclave is connected to Armenia through the 5-km Lachin Corridor.
- When Czarist Russia became the Soviet Union in 1921, Nagorno-Karabakh was part of the Azerbaijan SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic).
- In 1923, USSR established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast which is home to a 95% ethnically Armenian population, within the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
- Tensions in the region began first in 1998 when Nagorno-Karabakh’s regional legislature passed a resolution declaring its intention to join Armenia, despite being geographically located within Azerbaijan.
- When the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991 and Armenia and Azerbaijan achieved statehood, Nagorno-Karabakh officially declared independence.
- However, war broke out and by 1993, Armenia had captured Nagorno-Karabakh, and additionally, occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s geographic area.
- In 1994, Russia brokered a ceasefire known as the Bishkek Protocol which made Nagorno-Karabakh de facto independent with a self-proclaimed government in Stepanakert, but still heavily reliant on close economic, political, and military ties with Armenia.
- In September 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war again and Azerbaijan managed to wrest control of the territory around Nagorno-Karabakh.
- In December 2022, the Lachin Corridor was blockaded by Azerbaijan causing severe shortages of essential goods including food, fuel and water in Nagorno-Karabakh.
- In September 2023, an agreement to reopen the Lachin Corridor was agreed to, and later Azerbaijan launched an “anti-terrorist” offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and claimed to have regained full control over the region.
India’s position:
- India has ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan and has not picked sides in the conflict.
- India believes in diplomatic negotiations as lasting resolution for the conflict and supports the efforts of OSCE Minsk Group’s continued efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- India-Armenia ties:
- Historical ties:
- Indian settlements in Armenia were established by two princes (Krishna and Ganesh escaping from Kannauj) in 149 BC.
- Emperor Akbar, who is believed to have an Armenian wife Mariam Zamani Begum, granted Armenian traders who visited India with privileges and considerable religious freedom.
- Armenia publicly endorses India’s position on the resolution of the Kashmir issue on a bilateral basis.
- It supports India’s aspiration for a permanent seat in the expanded UN Security Council.
- India-Armenia deal (2022) was agreed to supply Armenian armed forces with PINAKA multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank munitions, and ammunitions and warlike stores worth US $250 million.
- Historical ties:
- Historical ties between India and Azerbaijan:
- the ‘Ateshgah’ fire temple in the vicinity of Baku is an 18th-century monument has wall inscriptions in Devanagari and Gurmukhi.
- Indian merchants travelled on the Silk Route to Europe enjoyed in Azerbaijani cities such as Baku and Ganja.
- Azerbaijan’s proximity to Pakistan has been perceived as an irritant in the ties by India
- India’s interest lies in the region which is central to its plans of connectivity through the south Caucasus region.
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- The region shall act as a viable corridor for India’s connectivity with Russia and Europe through Central Asia and Iran.
- Armenia and Azerbaijan are members of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which India is keen to develop.
- India supports Armenia’s proposal to include Iran’s Chabahar port in INSTC.
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