Thousands rally in Armenia against PM
- June 10, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Thousands rally in Armenia against PM
Sub: IR
Sec: Places in news
Context:
- Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan‘s decision to return territory to Azerbaijan, a move seen as a concession to the long-time rival.
Details:
- The controversy follows Armenia‘s recent return of four border villages to Azerbaijan, a decision defended by Pashinyan as a peace effort following two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia- Azerbaijan conflict:
- Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked mountainous area in the Caucasus region (the transcontinental region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea).
- It is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but its inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians.
- They have their own government which has enjoyed close links to Armenia‘s but has not been officially recognised by Armenia or any other country.
- The conflict dates back to the late 1980s when the region declared its independence from Azerbaijan as the Soviet Union collapsed.
- The first war erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory, which ended with a ceasefire in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh and some surrounding areas under Armenian control.
- The ceasefire was frequently violated by both sides, and several attempts to negotiate a peaceful settlement failed.
- In 2020, Azerbaijan launched the Second Karabakh War, winning a resounding victory and retaking seven surrounding districts and about a third of Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Russia brokered a peace deal after the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and provided for up to 1,960 Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region.
Azerbaijan:
- Azerbaijan is a country in Asia that is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Iran.
- The east of the country is bordered by the Caspian Sea.
- Much of the north and west is covered by the Caucasus Mountains.
- Capital city: Baku.
- Azerbaijan is abundant in oil and natural gas.
- Yanar Dag, a famous site in Azerbaijan, has a natural eternal fire fueled by seeping natural gases, burning for over 65 years along the Caspian Sea. This unique phenomenon aligns with Azerbaijan’s nickname, “The Land of Fire.”
Armenia
- A landlocked country in the Caucasus with Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, and Azerbaijan to the east.
- Capital: Yerevan.
- Armenia is a mountainous country.
- Highest Peak: Mount Ararat.