Artsakh: Relative Stability After War

Azeri local doing squats at a local gym. His Armenian friend is acting as a spotter. (CGTN: Central Asia)

From CGTN: Central Asia

As war in Ukraine still ensues, the little corner of the once Soviet Union, Nagorno-Karabakh, still has Russian peacekeepers stationed within the territory. Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, both Armenians and Azeris have fought in both low intensity conflicts and full scale wars, with the latter concluding just three years ago in 2020.

Azeri Border Guard conversing with locals. (CGTN: Central Asia via MSW)

As Armenia is part of the CSTO, Russia sent troops in the hopes of maintaining order among the two ethnic groups.

However, life is continuing on for its local citizens as people rebuild from the shelling and gunfire. Schools, postal services, restaurants, are once again teeming with life and filled with people eating, sending postcards and parcels, and schoolchildren learning in classrooms.

Despite instances of Azeris provoking Russian soldiers, minor scuffles betwee Azeris and Armenians, it seems as though peace may be looming for the delicate region. Gazprom had to cancel plans to expand their pipeline last year due to Russia’s heigtened involvement in the war, but there are talks that they may return to the region.

Because of the potential economic stimulation it would bring, the Azeri government may double down and support Russian infrastructure returning to provide jobs and economic security in the region.

Azeri Border Guard resting after a patrol. (CGTN: Central Asia)