Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1333129
Union ceased to exist and was suddenly replaced by a newly ordered geopolitical space, the alliances were reworked. The Armenians were receiving the support now. This stemmed from cold-blooded scrutiny. Azerbaijan remains in possession of signifi- cant crude oil and natural gas resources. In the new reality, this could have led to a sit- uation in which the West would gain access to those resources. This had to be stopped. The war with Nagorno Karabakh at its cen- tral point ended up with the Armenians win- ning it. A ceasefire agreement was signed in 1994. As a result of the fight, 20,000 peo- ple lost their lives on both sides. Secondly, the Armenian side managed to retain control over the Nagorno Karabakh area, and over the Azeri territory surrounding the Oblast. However, formally Nagorno Karabakh has not become a part of Armenia. A pseu- do-state was formed, typical for the proxy wars, so popular during the existence of the Soviet Union. The said state has not been acknowledged by the international commu- nity but has all of the features that a state should have, including relevant authorities residing in Stepanakert. The state also has a relevant set of administrative bodies and armed forces that remain formally separate. In the case of the latter, the relationship with Armenia is close enough, to consider the forces of Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of the Armenian military. The Nakhchivan Au- tonomous Republic was still being separated from the remainder of the Azeri territory. The context of resources had two facets. Firstly, the matter concerned access to the resources. Secondly, transport routes had to be considered. This matter dominated politics in the Transcaucasia region. Ulti- mately, in the second half of the 21st Cen- tury, Armenia was still dominated by Russia, Story: Michał Piekarski ANALYSIS