ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the challenges and prospects of a possible transition in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations to an emergent state of functional coexistence. It critically examines twenty-six years of diplomatic efforts, multiple peacebuilding dialogues, and workshops between the first and second Karabakh wars (1994–2020), halting progress in implementing components of the November 2020 truce agreement, the exodus of Karabakh Armenians in 2023, and an ever-elusive peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku. The failure of past efforts, a fundamental shift in the balance of power between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the kaleidoscope of cross-cutting relations among regional and international actors engaged in the region inform the author’s exploration of a functional coexistence approach to the reconfigured Armenian-Azerbaijani situation. The chapter argues that a functional coexistence approach presents a viable alternative to previous approaches by offering realistic objectives and means to avoid the recurrence of violent conflict, as well as a potential pathway toward eventual conflict resolution.
