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The Jamestown Foundaditon (18 December 2023)

Vasif Huseynov

On December 13, Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged prisoners that each side had detained at different times since the end of the Second Karabakh War in November 2020 (Turan.az, December 13). This historic exchange was made possible thanks to a significant breakthrough between the two countries on December 7. Baku and Yerevan issued a joint statement announcing a list of confidence-building measures to normalize relations and reach a peace agreement (Azertag, December 7). Azerbaijan agreed to release 32 Armenian servicemen as part of the agreement, and Armenia reciprocated by releasing two Azerbaijani soldiers. While a number of unresolved issues remain, the recent success in bilateral consultations has given new hope for a comprehensive peace agreement between the two sides.

The deal included other concessions beyond the exchange of prisoners. For example, Armenia agreed to support Azerbaijan’s bid to host the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. During the COP28 summit in Dubai, the countries of Eastern Europe agreed to back Baku’s bid, with Yerevan withdrawing its candidacy and throwing its support behind Azerbaijan (Azertag, December 11). The breakthrough was internationally lauded, with the United States, the European Union, and others issuing statements that supported progress toward a peace treaty (US Department of State, December 7; Twitter.com/charlesmichel, December 7).

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