“The coming days will be decisive,” the de facto leader of Karabakh announced as Azerbaijani forces advanced toward Shushi. Baku may see the capture of the town as critical leverage to achieve a favorable political settlement.
Even while negotiations are continuing, it is clear that developments on the battlefield are driving events far more strongly than anything agreed over the negotiation table.
The truce, brokered by Russia, is aimed at allowing the two sides to exchange prisoners and bodies. It will be the first respite in nearly two weeks of fighting.
Azerbaijan has demanded a full withdrawal of Armenian forces, and Armenia is hinting it might formally recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country.
While evidence of a Syrian presence in Azerbaijan grows, Azerbaijanis have strongly denied the claims and Armenian officials have seized on them to portray the conflict as a “clash of civilizations.”
While there is no confirmation of the many Armenian allegations of material support from Turkey, the vigorous rhetorical support from Azerbaijan’s ally has been undeniable.
A new program is an attempt to maintain the country's enviable epidemiological situation and still attract some visitors to its tourism-dependent economy.
The territory's public health officials have warned against opening up to tourism, and the arrival of tourists has coincided with a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
