The journalist faced not only the customary bureaucratic hurdles, but even alleged sexual harassment from an individual possibly linked to the security services.
Widely seen as one of the losers of the recent conflict, the EU could contribute to making the emerging regional order more viable – and rebuilding trust with the parties.
The issue became hotter following the January 11 summit in Moscow between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, when the Armenian side walked away having failed to secure the prisoners’ return.
Together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev signed an agreement to create new transportation infrastructure aimed at “unblocking” the region’s many closed borders.
Azerbaijan said that its shooting down of a Russian helicopter was an accident. But now Russia reportedly wants the case to be investigated as a murder.
The handover of territory has brought Azerbaijani forces into close contact with several Armenian towns and a critical road, leading some locals to blame the central government for failing to protect them.
A new documentary on a Soviet soccer star also tells the story of Central Asia’s ethnic Korean community, which was deported en masse to the region by Stalin.