ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg concluded his tour of the South Caucasus on Tuesday (19 March 2024) in Yerevan, Armenia where he met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. But his Mission for Peace seems to be Mission Impossible as Armenian Prime Minister hints at another war with Azerbaijan in few days on the issue of delineate the border.
Mr Stoltenberg praised Armenia for its long-standing partnership and contributions to NATO operations, including increased troop numbers in KFOR’s peacekeeping mission. “For nearly 20 years, Armenia has been a key partner in NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission, helping to ensure a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo,” he said.
On stability in the South Caucasus, the Secretary General urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach an agreement to pave the way for the normalisation of relations and a durable peace. “This matters for Euro-Atlantic security as we face a more dangerous world,” he emphasised, reiterating that “NATO supports Armenian sovereignty and territorial integrity, and your peaceful aspirations.”
The Secretary General warned that “Russia’s war in Ukraine is a sobering reminder that we cannot take peace for granted… If Putin succeeds in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not stop there and other authoritarian actors will be emboldened,” he said.
Mr Stoltenberg called on all NATO partners to “do what they can to ensure Putin does not win his war of aggression.” “The situation on the battlefield remains difficult, but this is a reason to step up, not to scale back our support,” he said.
During his visit, the Secretary General discussed the progress in Armenia’s domestic reforms. He highlighted Armenia’s commitment to ensuring democratic control of its armed forces, including by participating in NATO’s building integrity programme.
“You have also shown a real commitment to tackling corruption, strengthening your democratic institutions, and upholding the rule of law,” he concluded.
On the other side, Armenia’s prime minister has warned about another War with Azerbaijan in few days. He made the news alert on the same day when NATO secretary general was there to discuss peace in the region.
Associated Press has reported that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with neighboring Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities.Last year, Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign to reclaim the Karabakh region, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian separatists’ rule there.
In December, the two sides agreed to begin negotiations on a peace treaty. However, many residents of Armenia’s border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan’s encroachment on the areas they consider their own.
Speaking to residents of the border village of Voskepar in the Tavush region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned that Armenia’s refusal to delineate the border could trigger a new confrontation.
“It would mean that a war could erupt by the end of the week,” Pashinyan said. He noted that the border demarcation should be based on mutual recognition of territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan based on Soviet maps from 1991, when they were both were part of the Soviet Union.
“We shouldn’t allow the war to start,” Pashinyan said. “And this is also the reason that we decided to go to delimitation of the borders in these parts of Armenia.”
“The Liberation of Azerbaijani Territories from Illegal Occupation of Armenia”
