What is it?

• The landlocked mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is the subject of an unresolved dispute between Azerbaijan, in which it lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, backed by neighbouring Armenia.
• In 1988, towards the end of Soviet rule, Azerbaijani troops and Armenian secessionists began a bloody war which left the de facto independent state in the hands of ethnic Armenians when a truce was signed in 1994.

• Negotiations have so far failed to produce a permanent peace agreement, and the dispute remains one of post-Soviet Europe’s “frozen conflicts.”

Why in News?

• Clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan recently over the volatile Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• The recent clashes reignited concern about instability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines transporting oil and gas to world markets.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/clashes-erupt-between-armenia-azerbaijan/article32709444.ece