EU-EUROPEAN UNION TENSIONS OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH: SYSTEMIC TENSIONS IN POST-SOVIET IDENTITY AND TERRITORIAL DISPUTES
Original framing: “Azerbaijan summons EU envoy in row over treatment of Karabakh Armenians” — The Hindu
The conflict has roots in the Soviet Union’s administrative decisions that placed Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan while recognizing its Armenian majority. The collapse of the USSR reignited tensions, and the 1994 ceasefire has since been a fragile truce. Historical parallels include other contested regions like Kashmir and Palestine, where colonial legacies and ethnic divisions persist.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not just a bilateral dispute but a systemic issue rooted in post-Soviet geopolitics, ethnic identity, and historical grievances.
The EU’s involvement reflects its desire to assert influence in the region while navigating the competing interests of Russia and Turkey. To move toward lasting peace, solutions must integrate local knowledge, cross-cultural understanding, and international mediation. Indigenous and marginalized voices must be at the center of this process, and future modeling must account for both regional and global shifts. Only through a holistic, inclusive approach can the region overcome its divisions and build a shared future.