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Iran’s position on the conflict was influenced by the fact that around a fifth of its 84mn-strong population are Iranian-Azerbaijani, but Tehran attempted to stay neutral while acknowledging that the territory being fought over was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan though it was controlled by ethnic Armenians.
Spokesman Khatibzadeh said that the settlement of the conflict would benefit the entire region.
Under the peace deal, Azerbaijan has gained control over the territories of Aghdam, Gazakh, Kelbajar and Lachin.
Around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers are based in remaining contested territories that remain under the control of Armenia.
2.7 ​Polls & Sociology
Risk analysis identifies Turkey, Iran and Russia among 37 nations likely to face mass ‘post-Covid’ protests
Turkey, Iran and Russia are among 37 emerging and frontier market countries likely to face mass protests in the coming months as restrictions imposed to control the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are increasingly lifted and the huge economic impact of the crisis is realised, according to​ ​new research​ f​ rom a global risk analysis company.
“The total number of protests in frontier and emerging markets has almost rebounded to pre-pandemic levels,” said Verisk Maplecroft principal analyst Miha Hribernik. “With many countries still in lockdown, and the full economic shock of the outbreak yet to be felt, we expect the number of protests to surge over the next 2-3 months.”
Verisk Maplecroft concluded that the outlook was particularly worrying for frontier and emerging markets where the post-pandemic economic outlook is bleak. Iran, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Algeria and Ethiopia are among countries facing a “perfect storm” of grassroots anger—protests triggered by the pandemic’s economic fallout look set to combine with unrest over pre-existing grievances over issues ranging from poverty to food supply, it said.
“Our base case from January—that 2020 will see a surge in protests and that the coming decade is set to be one of unprecedented unrest—still stands,” said Hribernik. “But in the countries least prepared to bounce back from the pandemic, it now looks like a best-case scenario.”
Russia, Turkey, India, Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia face risks that are only slightly less acute than those of the countries with the most “perfect storm” potential, the report added.
Belarus, Bulgaria and Serbia, as well as Congo and Ethiopia, are among countries to have been shaken by anti-government protests in recent days. There was a drop-off in unrest in emerging and frontier markets in March, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), after the widespread introduction of lockdowns. But with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasting that growth in emerging markets and developing economies will contract by 1% this year, certain simmering pots of tension may come to the boil.
Hribernik used five factors to determine the ability of 142 countries to bounce back from the pandemic. That was combined with data from past protests to
10​ IRAN Country Report December 2020 www.intellinews.com