The political leaders’ “hard talk” in Munich on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The author analyses the first ever debate to take place between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on the conflict over the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia in violation of international law. This debate was held on February 15, 2020 at the Munich Security Conference. Historical, political, international law and humanitarian aspects of Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijanare examined on the basis of the issues and questions addressed during the debate. International mediation efforts and the positions adopted by German and European political actors are also discussed. Finally, options for the resolution of the conflict are presented on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions of 1993. This publication is intended for a broad readership interested in the historical dimension and the genesis of the conflict as well as current political and social developments in the South Caucasus. The author analyses the debate and the conflict from a German and European perspective.