A last chance for peace? Sabine Freizer (2005) In late 2005 Armenia and Azerbaijan seem to be as close to peace as they have ever been, having apparently accepted a phased approach to a peace deal leading to a future plebiscite on self-determination. However, the leaders have worked out ‘winning formulas’ before but failed to bridge the gap between what they were saying in public and in private – doing nothing to prepare their peoples for peace. Now military spending (especially in Azerbaijan) is rocketing, while the Karabakh Armenians’ continued occupation of certain Azerbaijani districts fuels Baku’s sense of justification in launching an attack. Both sides must recognize their interest in reaching a settlement before they lose the levers that can stop the wheels of war.
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