Time for the U.S. to Open a Consulate in Stepanakert: Article from The National Interest

The National Interest has published an article about the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, stating that for the sake of peace, it is time for the U.S. to open a consulate in Stepanakert.

According to Armenpress, the author Michael Rubin writes, "Stepanakert is historically the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has a predominantly Armenian population, currently under a large-scale offensive by Azerbaijani forces, supported by mercenaries transferred by Turkey and Turkish drones. Although the fighting has occurred in peripheral areas, Stepanakert has also come under fire. Reports indicate that Turkish F-16s have bombed the city’s maternity hospital, and on Thursday journalists reported that the city is under heavy fire. It may not be logical to send American diplomats to a besieged city, but opening a consulate in Stepanakert would help de-escalate the conflict and perhaps contribute to peace."

The article mentions that there are reasons for the U.S. to open a consulate in Nagorno-Karabakh. "While Armenia defends the nominal independence of Artsakh, and Azerbaijan claims it must control Nagorno-Karabakh based on Soviet-era border chaos, it is undeniable that this region has been autonomous for centuries, which is reinforced by strong geography." The author notes that opening a consulate or diplomatic mission in Stepanakert would allow the U.S. not only to monitor developments but could also deter attacks on the civilian population from Azerbaijani, Turkish forces, and Arab mercenaries.

Michael Rubin writes that the State Department must resolve technical issues to open a consulate in Nagorno-Karabakh. It is noted that it is challenging to open a consulate in a conflict zone since consulates usually fall under the embassy of that country in a specific capital. According to the author, the U.S. cannot attach the consulate to the U.S. embassy in Baku, as Azerbaijan has not controlled those territories since the Soviet era (it even had the status of an autonomous region during Soviet times), nor can it attach the consulate to the U.S. embassy in Yerevan to avoid disrupting the negotiation process within the OSCE Minsk Group framework. "However, there is a precedent in this case: For decades, while the U.S. did not recognize Israel's claims over Jerusalem, the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem was not attached to any country's embassy in a capital," the author states, adding that the U.S. could act similarly in the case of Nagorno-Karabakh to bypass both Armenia's and Azerbaijan's resistance.