Ես ծնվել եմ Վարդենիսում 1984-ին, իսկ 4 տարի անց իմ ամբողջ ընտանիքը, ինչպես նաև բարեկամներս ստիպված էին լքել Հայաստանը` զանգվածային տեղահանումների պատճառով փախուստի դիմելով Ադրբեջան: Ես չորս տարեկան էի, երբ լքեցի Հայաստանը, սակայն երբ հետադարձ հայացք եմ ուղղում` չգիտեմ` արդյոք բախտավորություն էր, թե ոչ, քանի որ չեմ կարող մտաբերել անցյալում թողածս: Բայց հիշում եմ մեր տունը, այգին, խաղահրապարակը, ընկերներիս, խնձորենիս և աքաղաղին, որին շատ էի սիրում:

The last time I visited Nagorno Karabakh was in 2006. Well, the intention had not been to visit Karabakh itself, but rather the strategic town of Lachin situated within what the international community considers sovereign Azerbaijani territory under Armenian control. However, despite years of working on a long-term photographic project in the town, I was instead detained by the local National Security Service (NSS) and my travel plans altered in unexpected ways.

With some media outlets reporting that momentum to striking a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues, the reality on the ground in both republics is that the two populations are not ready for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict based on mutual compromise. The situation is reportedly worse in Azerbaijan, but many Armenians also seem unwilling to consider the return of at least six of seven regions currently serving as a buffer zone.

True, we’ve been here before with the media reporting that a solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh might finally be in sight, but the possibility for peace is once again resurfacing. However, such hopes have always been dashed at the last moment, but what makes the situation different this time round is the active involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in convening a meeting between his Armenia and Azerbaijani counterparts tomorrow in Moscow. RFE/RL has more.

Armenians have read a lot about the frozen conflict over the disputed mainly-Armenian populated territory of Nagorno Karabakh, but such articles are usually from partisan sources inside Armenia or in the Diaspora. Seldom does the Armenian press carry impartial and objective reports, and of late there has been some clandestine funding of less than objective articles on the situation in and around Karabakh to serve certain political interests.

As political tensions in Armenia rise ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, the arrest of a former Nagorno-Karabakh military commander critical of the Armenian government’s talks with Azerbaijan is raising fresh concerns about how the vote will be conducted.

In a December 10 raid carried out by masked agents of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) at a Yerevan restaurant, Zhirayr Sefilian, an ethnic Armenian from Lebanon, was taken into custody on charges of plotting a government coup. Sefilian, a former commander in Armenia’s war with Azerbaijan over the predominantly ethnic Armenian breakaway territory of Karabakh, is a decorated, hard-line war hero. He is an outspoken opponent of any deal with Azerbaijan that includes the return of territory currently under Armenian control.