Events of the week: What is preventing an agreement between Yerevan and Baku?

The trial of Armenian prisoners of war and other detained Armenians, including the former leadership of de-facto Nagorny Karabakh, continued in Baku last week, provoking strong emotional reactions in Armenia. Political and public circles have started to demand from the Armenian government to include the issue of the detainees in the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations.  Azerbaijani society, however, considers the trails as an important part of ‘transitional justice’ and a way to account for the events of the past 30 years. In Armenia, it is believed that dozens of representatives of the Azerbaijani side could equally be accused of war or other crimes committed during the conflict. Will focusing on the past contribute to peace or, on the contrary, complicate an already difficult path?

The issue of unblocking transport links between the two countries also continues to be a matter of debate. The parties are still unable to reach a consensus on the order of opening the roads and determining the modes of their further operation.

In the Middle East, the recent change of power in Syria, have not stopped bloodshed and violence against civilians. Recently, the world has to again cope with horrifying news of newly erupted violence in the war-torn Arab republic. Can the events in Syria effect the South Caucasus?

These and other questions were discussed by political scientists Areg Kochinyan and Ahmed Alili during the new edition of the programme ‘The Line of Contact – Events of the Week’ on CivilNet channel. The programme was prepared on the joint initiative of Yerevan and Baku Press Clubs.