he territorial conflict with Armenia first began in 1988, when ethnic Armenians demonstrated against Azeri rule in the district of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the downfall of the Soviet Union in 1991 magnified the conflict into all-out war.

From 1992-1994, more than 30,000 people died in Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1993, the U.N. Security Council called for a cessation of hostilities and the deployment of a peacekeeping force. Relative peace became a reality when Russia brokered a ceasefire in May 1994. Since the early 1990s, the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has led negotiations to broker a long-term solution.

What is certain is that political will is crucial, according to President Ilham Aliyev. “The conflict’s resolution envisages a two-stage solution. The first stage includes eight to ten components, including the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories, de-mining, the return of internally displaced persons, security guarantees and the restoration of infrastructure,” says Elmar Mammadyarov, the Azeri Minister of Foreign Affairs. In a second stage, the demographic composition of the district would be restored. Mr. Mammadyarov then proposes the highest degree of autonomy for Nagorno-Karabakh.