Secret Talks Revealed: Global Powers Quietly Paved the Way for Karabakh Resolution

Баку/04.10.23/Turan:  In an intriguing revelation, it has been reported that just days before Azerbaijan launched its military campaign to reclaim separatist territories from ethnic Armenian control in the former Nagorno-Karabakh, high-ranking representatives from the United States, the European Union (EU), and Russia held confidential discussions in Turkey. These covert talks, which took place on September 17 in Istanbul, have raised questions about whether the world's leading nations had given their tacit approval for a resolution to the longstanding Karabakh conflict, which had remained intractable for three decades.

The primary focus of these hushed deliberations was reportedly the facilitation of humanitarian convoys from Armenia to Karabakh. These convoys aimed to provide essential supplies, including fuel and food, to the local residents in the war-torn region.

The meeting was attended by Louis Bono, Chief Adviser on the Caucasus representing the United States, Toivo Klaar, Regional Representative of the European Union, and Igor Khovaev, Special Representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry tasked with normalizing Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.

However, both the U.S. State Department and other involved governments have remained tight-lipped about the clandestine gathering, categorizing it as a private diplomatic discussion and thus refraining from divulging details to the public.

The disclosure of these secret talks has led to speculation about whether major world powers had quietly sanctioned a solution to the Karabakh issue that had stymied progress for an extended period.

Political commentator Khaleddin Ibrahimli, appearing on the program "Difficult Question," expressed skepticism about the reliability of this information. He noted the absence of any reports from Azerbaijani, Turkish, or Russian media sources, casting doubt on the veracity of the claim. Ibrahimli suggested that if such a meeting did indeed occur, alternative sources would likely have corroborated the story.

Ibrahimli proposed that the shift towards a potential resolution in Karabakh was due to several factors, including significant developments such as the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the perceived diminishing influence of Russia in the South Caucasus region. He contended that Western analyses pointed to Turkey gradually assuming a more prominent role in the region, potentially explaining why Western nations, as well as Russia, may have come to terms with the idea of Karabakh being relinquished by Armenia.

In essence, these undisclosed talks have opened a window into the complex geopolitics of the South Caucasus, where global powers may have silently paved the way for a resolution to a decades-old conflict, driven by shifting regional dynamics and a strategic repositioning of key players in the region.