Azerbaijani foreign minister to visit Moscow
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov will today pay an official visit to Moscow.
Bayramov’s visit comes amid renewed Azerbaijani-Armenian fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The self-governing region, the population of which is 90% ethnically Armenian, has long been internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. International efforts to mediate the conflict have not resulted in an equitable solution.
The frozen conflict has once again begun to thaw, with July 12 seeing the first skirmishes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces since 2016. The fighting resulted in the death of eleven Azerbaijani and five Armenian servicemen, with both sides blaming the other for initiating the clashes.
Expect today’s visit to stress the need for mediation between Baku and Yerevan. Nevertheless, it is unlikely Russia will be able to reach a mediated settlement between the two sides as vocal Turkish and Israeli support for Azerbaijan has been met with an uncharacteristically muted response from Moscow. Despite this, the current security dynamic of Azerbaijan outspending and Armenia outperforming the other on defence will likely have a balancing effect, reducing the chances of continued fighting in the short term.
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