After several failed attempts to broker a ceasefire over the course of the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, we welcome the agreement to end the deadly fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and with it a military conflict that has cost thousands of lives.

Peacekeepers play an essential role in working to provide politicians with enough space to chart an alternative settlement to violence. We are however cognisant of the risks that this peacekeeping force with its five-year mandate, from countries with a vested interest in the region, poses to the wider Caucasus.

We applaud the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group but call on all members of the European Union and wider international community to redouble their concern for the devastating consequences of events unfolding in eastern Europe and to remain vigilant. More Russian troops will now occupy the strategically important South Caucasus region than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and in so doing open a door to possible human rights violations. In neighbouring countries, such as Georgia, where the contested outcome of the recent elections leaves the country on the brink of producing a weak and controversial government, the greater presence of Russian troops in the region will place greater strain on the pursuit for political independence.

Main image: michael_swan on Flickr