While the major powers of the world are concerned about the two wars going on either Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, there are other theaters in the same geographicals equally important as Central Asia and the Caucasus that are worth noting to move forward with peace.
These areas are facing dangers from non-state actors as well as external power plays, especially Russia-China-US-Turkish and Iran to expand their respective geographical pies. When they have joined history, ethnicity, identity and emotion, it is not easy to resolve regional disputes. But four countries have shown that it is not completely impossible.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the two countries, which achieved independence in 1991, shared a 1,068-tall disputed border. He was conquered by the Khanate of Kokand by the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Later, he was converted into the Soviet Union’s containers, which superimposed the Soviet ideological mandatory and ignored the ethnic issues, thus only made administrative limits.
Since then, the two countries have formed close ties with Russia and are part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as well as the Russian-led collective security treaty organization (CSTO). But it has not stopped repeatedly border clashes, with tension even during the SCO summit in 2022. The ceasefire has been repeatedly interacted and held on the ceasefire, only more clashes with the competition areas can be broken. However, both sides eventually felt that problems could be solved only through peace; All external stakeholders helped repeat the same message under the leadership of the two countries.
After 31 years, on 13 March, Kyrgyzstan President Saidir Japarov and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahman signed an agreement on the delimitation and demarcation of the border. The treaty also included and addressed major issues of water, energy, infrastructure, road and transport, which has often been the reason for permanent conflict between the two neighbors. He inaugurated two posts to increase cooperation and connectivity, in which the main highways of the dacoity-captaincy-Khojai-Am and Vorukh are considered as a neutral connectivity corridor. Land exchange was also agreed with a cordial and creative manner.
Traveling to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan can be a lesson for others in the region in resolving bilateral issues by promoting regional cooperation and overcoming historical mistake lines.
Nagorno-Karabagh war
Similarly, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought several wars on the Nagorno-Karabagh region for decades, causing an unstable Caucasus and intra-and additional-regional geopolitical rivalry. It also has its roots in this struggle, in the Soviet period.
Armenia was primarily dependent on Moscow for its safety and sovereignty. It is part of CSSTO and even hosts a Russian base. On the other hand, Azerbaijan, supported by Türkiye and associated with its own oil resources, inspired by ethnic concerns, condemned in the contesting field. Eventually, Russia, complicated in war with Ukraine for more than three years, had to configure his priorities and admitted that its relationship with Ankara was more importantly more important for its own strategic loops and marine access.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 and turned into a full war in the early 1990s, ending only in 1994 with a trussed signed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This made way for the stability of about two decades. But the frozen struggle again erupted with the second Nagorno-Karbagh war in 2020, which gave Azeris a decisive control of the important region. 2023 War was decisive when Azerbaijan canceled the field contesting the election, making the ethnic Armenians dissolving the region and the artkh. Eventually, a ceasefire began when Russian intervention did not come from the Armenians; It also sour the relations between the two countries.
After that, even though resentment and mutual recurrence continued, with the help of major powers, including the US, both sides agreed to work on a peace agreement. One of the first signs of his understanding was a joint hosting of COP29 in Azeri Rajdhani Baku, although many Armenians chose not to attend the summit at the last minute.
Finally this month, the two countries agreed to an outline and lesson for a peace deal. Although some sticky points remain, such as amendment in the Armenian Constitution and the elimination of the old Minsk group and other relevant OSCE structures, on 16 March, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said after his talk with Azeri President’s advisor on X on X that Azerbaijan and Armenia have taken a big step. ” The Armenian Ministry of External Affairs also confirmed that the peace agreement was “ready to sign”. Along with crossing the fingers, one can expect that the two sides will now pursue the appease to normalize the relationship, about four decades of rivalry and controversy will end.
These are an otherwise dysfunctional global order signs of good and hope, where neighbors, with the help of their respective beneficiaries, are able to ensure peace and development for their people to ensure an understanding. Can other people follow the suit?
(Writer is former Ambassador of India in Jordan, Libya and Malta)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author