Arif Yunosov, an Azerbaijani author, historian and human rights activist now living in the Netherlands due to political persecution in his home country, is optimistic about the Karabakh peace process.

Yunosov, during an online discussion on the topic, said that negotiations are currently being held on several levels.

The first is the geopolitical dimension. The Minsk Group, which has exhausted itself, has not disappeared entirely from the scene according to Yunosov.

 "And now we see that the United States has become more active. This is just the beginning," he said.

The most active talks are taking place on the Moscow-Yerevan-Baku format with Russia playing a key role.

The third dimension, which, as Arif Yunusov points out, no one pays attention to, is the direct talks between Yerevan and Baku.

"Azerbaijan has been declaring since 1994 that this conflict is between Baku Yerevan and that they should resolve this issue themselves. Of course, again within the framework of the Minsk Group, but that the talks should be held only between the two countries. Azerbaijan has always ruled out talks with the Karabakh authorities. But after this war the situation has completely changed. The parties, whether they want to or not, must resolve several socio-economic issues," Yunusov said, noting that there is now secret contact between the Azerbaijani-Karabakh parties.

He said that two meetings between Baku and Yerevan have already been held but   not officially announced. 

 Yunusov emphasized that despite all this, the future course of events is very uncertain.

"Before the war, negotiations were mainly for show. But now, the situation is different. They are intense, perhaps with many disagreements, but now the parties are discussing substantive issues. Now, border issues are being decided. Communication issues are discussed. One can long debate which side benefits the most, but these negotiations are already important in themselves. And I consider the fact that there is movement in the negotiation process as a positive sign. This is still the initial stage. We cannot say for sure that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we can see results in the form of a peace agreement. But the fact that the process has begun is unmistakable," said Yunusov.

P.S. On April 28, 2014, Arif Yunusov and his wife Leyla were jailed on charges of extortion and treason for allegedly spying for Armenia. After being detained, Arif Yunusov was sentenced to seven years in jail; his wife, Leyla Yunus, was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail. Their sentences were suspended fifteen months later and the couple was allowed to leave for the Netherlands.