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Kazakhstan Works with Armenia and Azerbaijan for South Caucasus Peace

By Robert M. Cutler On May 10–11, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted peace talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers. These constructive negotiations were strictly bilateral, with Kazakhstan absent from the room and only providing the venue for the meeting. The event illustrates the dedication by Tokayev and his foreign policy to regional stability and mediation. Kazakhstan has done this sort of thing in the past; it hosted Russia–Turkey–Iran talks over Syria until last year. It was also mentioned as a place for bilateral Russia–Ukraine negotiations, although that idea never materialized. Armenia's Future is in the South Caucasus and Asia Tokayev had offered to provide the venue during his first official visit to Armenia, which took place on April 15 this year. His trip to Armenia may in retrospect be seen as a turning point. Former President Nursultan Nazarbayev had been forced to cancel a visit in 2016, following protests in Yerevan against Astana's support of Baku in the Karabakh conflict. Armenia’s participation in the new peace efforts, now under way for a couple of years, marks a significant shift after decades of rejecting such cooperation. It offers the prospect of renewed regional relations. Under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has lately been trying to shift its foreign policy, reaching out to Western countries such as France and the U.S. in order to decrease its long-standing dependence on (some would say, vassalage to) Russia. But Armenia is a state in the South Caucasus, not in Europe or America. For this reason, the state’s objective interests (as opposed to those of the far-flung diaspora) are geopolitically compatible with those of Azerbaijan and Turkey, and also of Kazakhstan more distantly. Astana’s ties with Baku and Ankara, and Azerbaijan’s strengthening of its own ties with Central Asia, reflect strategic manoeuvring in the region. These partnerships enhance Kazakhstan's and Turkey's roles in promoting stability and development in the South Caucasus. They consequently offer Armenia a new path to prosperity. Peace with Azerbaijan would lead to the lifting of the Turkish embargo on Armenia and open the possibility of Armenia's integration into the Trans-Caspian International Trade Route (TITR, "Middle Corridor"). Such an opening would further widen Armenia's diplomatic vistas and decrease its dependence on Russia. Turning to Europe and the U.S. can offer some advantages, but Armenia must be cautious of the influence of a bellicosely irredentist Armenian diaspora, whose interests are not first and foremost the well-being of Armenians living in Armenia. Prioritizing regional integration and cooperation with its South Caucasus neighbours and other TITR participants will enable Armenia proper to build a more stable and prosperous future. Infrastructure and Connectivity Initiatives With the assistance of the international financial institutions, the European Union and Central Asia are developing the TITR as a critical trade corridor that will also contribute significantly to the prosperity and stability of the countries lying along its route. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have long been key players in the promotion and realization of this plan. The Middle Corridor,...

Conflict Resolution Armenia Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan to Host Armenia-Azerbaijan Talks on May 10

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold talks in Almaty on May 10 as they seek to end their long-running conflict, Kazakhstan said on Monday. The negotiations will happen in line with “previously reached agreements,” said Aibek Smadiyarov, spokesman for Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s top diplomat, and his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, will attend, according to the Kazakh official. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in tension and conflict over territory since the 1990s, though the two sides have been working to delineate their borders following Azerbaijan’s retaking of control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region last year. As reported by TCA last week, in a statement President Tokayev “welcome[d] the agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to hold talks at the Foreign Ministers’ level on the preparation of a peace treaty between the two states, at the suggestion of the Kazakh side.” Tokayev went on to express his hope the upcoming meeting would help with the “practical implementation” of agreements between the two sides.

Conflict Resolution Armenia Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan Says It’s Ready to Host Azerbaijan-Armenia Talks; No Date Announced

Kazakhstan’s president said on Wednesday that he hopes planned talks in Almaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia will lead to a lasting peace in the South Caucasus, though he did not provide a date for the negotiations. “I welcome the agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to hold talks at the Foreign Ministers’ level on the preparation of a peace treaty between the two states, at the suggestion of the Kazakh side,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a statement. He said he hoped the upcoming meeting would help with the “practical implementation” of agreements between the two sides. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in tension and conflict over territory since the 1990s, though the two sides have been working to delineate their borders following Azerbaijan’s retaking of control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region last year. Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said this week that Kazakhstan is supporting the talks but will not act as mediator, according to reports in Azerbaijan and Armenia. “The upcoming negotiations will be held exclusively between the parties,” Armenian radio quoted Smadiyarov as saying. “We are not talking about Astana’s mediation, we are only providing goodwill services, the so-called good offices.” Kazakhstan benefits economically from stability in the Caucasus because it exports oil through Azerbaijan. In March, Azerbaijan’s energy minister met his counterpart in Kazakhstan to discuss boosting Kazakh oil flows via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

Azerbaijan negotiations Armenia

Azerbaijan and Armenia to Hold Talks in Kazakhstan

Officials in Baku have agreed to a meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Kazakhstan. Azeri president Ilham Aliyev stated as much at a meeting with participants of the international forum "COP29 and a Green Vision for Azerbaijan" held at ADA University, Turan.az reports. Aliyev said that if Yerevan gives reciprocal consent, their next talks will be held in Astana. He reminded the audience of the previously concluded Madrid Principles, which were first proposed in 2007. "We have a common understanding of how the peace agreement should look like. We just need to work out the details. However, of course, both sides need time. Now there is a unique chance. When the USSR collapsed there were wars in our region, unlike the Baltic States, which started their independent life peacefully. Now we have this chance. I think COP29 is a great opportunity for this," Aliyev said. On April 15 Kazakhstan's president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid an official visit to Armenia. Tokayev called on Yerevan and Baku to settle the conflict through negotiations, and he suggested Kazakhstan as the location for hosting the dialog. Tokayev himself spent years as a diplomat, and Kazakhstan seems to be positioning itself as an international mediator, aiming to be recognized as a significant diplomatic player on the world stage. Member of the Kazakhstan Institute for Social Development, Yernar Kushaliyev commented: "Kazakhstan pursues a multi-vector foreign policy, which allows it to effectively interact with various global powers and regional actors. Kazakhstan has a unique potential to play the role of the main mediator in the Eurasian region, especially in the settlement of disputes between states. The country maintains a neutral position, not participating in military conflicts, which creates favorable prerequisites for mediation and diplomacy. This position strengthens confidence in Kazakhstan as a reliable mediator and organizer of peace negotiations". Kushaliyev stresses that, in the context of the current negotiations, the military situation is not developing in Armenia's favor. "Azerbaijan, in its turn, has successfully implemented a number of strategic and tactical tasks in Nagorno-Karabakh, strengthening its positions. As a result of these circumstances, it seems likely that both sides will be able to come to constructive agreements and demarcate their borders during the negotiations to be held in Astana," he said.

Transport cooperation Mutual trade Kazakhstan Armenia

Kazakhstan and Armenia Negotiate on Trade and Transport Cooperation

Following negotiations on 15 April in Yerevan, with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that with regard to furthering cooperation, the countries enjoy “unshakable friendship and mutual support.” With reference to developing a more comprehensive partnership, he cited their common goals as expanding and activating bilateral ties, and strengthening regional and international security. Negotiations also focused on enhancing cooperation in economic and investment and the Kazakh president reported, “We - both agreed - that it is necessary to look for new directions that will give impetus to the growth of trade turnover. Kazakhstan is ready to increase its exports to Armenia to $350 million.” Tokayev stressed that development of the transport and logistics sector is key to strengthening Kazakh-Armenian cooperation and hailed Armenia’s readiness to restore transit communications in the South Caucasus under the ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative. Aimed at developing communications between Armenia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Iran, the Armenian-proposed initiative includes renovating, building, and operating roads, railways, pipelines, cables, and electricity lines. In addition, the Kazakh president welcomed proposals for the operation of direct flights between the countries’ capitals and other cities. Pashinyan likewise emphasized the significant headway made during the negotiations, saying, “We have identified further prospects for strengthening our cooperation, including - transport and logistics. We agree that despite the constant growth in trade turnover, there is still unrealized potential for the development of trade and economic cooperation.”

Armenia Russia

Armenian PM to Stay Away from CIS Summit in Bishkek

As reported by RFE/RL, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has opted out of the upcoming summit of the Council of the Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), slated to be held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on October 13. According to the Kyrgyz presidential office on October 10, Pashinyan conveyed to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov his inability to attend the gathering during a phone conversation. This absence underscores a widening gap between Yerevan and Moscow, particularly as Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to participate in the summit. Earlier, Armenia had announced the non-participation of its troops in the ongoing military exercises led by the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kyrgyzstan.