Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan has temporarily shut the only road linking its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia, accusing the Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “further progress” toward a peace agreement in three days of U.S.-hosted talks between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The incident comes as the two South Caucasus countries meet in Washington for talks on how to avoid a new war.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has raised the prospect of ceding control of an occupied exclave of Azerbaijani territory inside Armenia. But it remains unclear if that is a signal of an impending Armenian concession or a rhetorical attempt to lower domestic expectations, analysts say.

Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Monday (29 May) of threatening to resort to force after Azeri President Ilham Aliyev demanded the dissolution of Karabakh’s “separatist” local government.

As peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue, Baku has opened a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Armenia to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, raising fears of a new surge in fighting. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts discuss the risks.

The negotiations proposed by Russia will be held between the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders on May 25.

European Council President Charles Michel spoke of progress in talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels on Sunday, adding that “momentum should be maintained” towards a final peace deal.

Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 11 reported fresh exchanges of gunfire along their common border ahead of EU-mediated talks between their leaders scheduled for the weekend.

The United States hosted negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Monday (1 May), seeking to quell recent tension over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.