As this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku draws closer, negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to be drifting further apart, Common Spasce. Eu writes.
This likely includes the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections on Nov. 5. Both Armenian and American officials appear eager to finalize an agreement by that time, potentially to cement current U.S. policy in the region.
What is known, however, is that pressure for some kind of agreement to be reached by COP29 in Baku continues. This could even be a joint statement acknowledging the progress and agreements made to date even if the Armenian opposition continues to claim that Pashinyan is ready to concede to anything to remain in power. Even so, they also claim that Aliyev is not interested in peace and that a new war will break out after the climate change conference next month.
As for COP29, there is at least speculation that Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan could attend. The largely symbolic head of state has participated in every COP since taking office in March 2022. But truth be told, having Pashinyan cycling around Baku–as he has on other foreign trips to share on Instagram in recent months–would at least be an intriguing sight.
But regardless of who attends or not, and what unfolds, it is now crucial that both sides reveal the points agreed to date. Both societies remain in the dark, allowing confusion, misinformation, and disinformation to circulate instead. Even the media is unable to adequately report on the normalization process because of the lack of consistent information. Failure to do so could prolong a tenuous cold peace for years, something that both societies should not have to endure for much longer.
