Resolving Ethno-territorial Conflicts: a Case for Mountainous Karabakh

The paper compares various theoretical approaches to conflict resolution by classifying them as power-, rights-, and interest-based. On a theoretical level an emphasis is put on finding appropriate grounds for establishing stable, sustainable and just solutions to the deadlocked ethno-territorial conflicts. Finally, the theoretical framework developed throughout the paper is applied to the case of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Mountainous Karabakh, one of the most protracted, violent and complicated ethno-territorial conflicts in the post-communist space. The major practical finding of the paper is that the Karabakh conflict cannot be solved exclusively on an intra-state level and requires combination of intra-state measures with inter-state and supra-state measures. The paper argues the most effective solution to the Karabakh conflict can be achieved by means of power-sharing, regional integration in the Caucasus and gradual integration of the south Caucasus states to the EU. The analysis presents an innovative view to the conflict resolution theories in general, and the Karabakh conflict in particular and should be interesting for both scholars and practitioners.