The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has long been regarded as a flashpoint in the South Caucasus, representing a significant threat to regional security and stability. Intensive armed clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in early April 2016 constituted the most serious breakdown of the 1994 cease fire. It left dozens of Armenians and Azerbaijanis – including civilians – dead, and the negotiations for a settlement, under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, in tatters. This Policy Dialogue, organised in cooperation with LINKS, looked at what has changed since the four-day escalation, the current state of the settlement talks, and how Azerbaijan and Armenia see the way forward. Speakers also discussed the role of the international community, in particular Russia, which had a big part in ending the 2016 escalation, and how the EU can help to support efforts to find a solution to the conflict.

Speakers included: David Shahnazaryan, Senior Analyst, Regional Studies Center, Yerevan, Zaur Shiriyev, Fellow, Europe, Crisis Group, Andrey Makarychev, Visiting Professor, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu, Dennis Sammut, Director of LINKS.