Strands - Political Dialogue

Only fools underestimate the complexity of Armenian-Azerbaijani political dialogue

Led by LINKS, this strand of work helps build and maintain a political dialogue between Armenian and Azerbaijani Members of Parliaments, political activists and think tanks to help rethink the issues around the Karabakh conflict and its resolution.

Highlights

■ The South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative (SCPI) has provided an opportunity for politicians from the region, from both government and opposition parties, to share views on a wide variety of issues, be it the Karabakh conflict, the region’s European aspirations or regional interaction amongst others.

■ A good example of changing tones could be seen during the Baku Autumn Debates held in 2004 where the Karabakh issue was discussed soberly in different contexts. This trend was followed in subsequent events organised by LINKS.

Work in Action

Helping politicians to think beyond the present constraints that the Karabakh conflict imposes on the South Caucasus has been one of the major objectives. An important breakthrough was the report on regional interaction in the fields of banking, environment and transport adopted by the 6th Plenary Assembly of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative (SCPI) in December 2006. The report had been put together by a group of nine experts from the three South Caucasus countries working in the SCPI framework. Whilst realistically assessing the limitations of what can be achieved as long as the conflict persists, the report also accepts that a process of positive interaction can accompany the efforts to resolve the conflict and can flourish once peace is finally established.

Impact

■ There has been a shift in both emphasis and discourse by politicians in the region on issues around the Karabakh conflict and its resolution – a process that, whilst being far from complete, has already resulted in a more nuanced presentation of the conflict by politicians on both sides.

■ Since 2003, the SCPI has been a unique example of regional political dialogue and interaction involving Armenia and Azerbaijan, together with Georgia.

HEADS OF THE DELEGATIONS TO THE SOUTH CAUCASUS PARLIAMENTARY INITIATIVE WITH RT. HON BRUCE GEORGE MP. © LINKS.

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