The conflict between the states of Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) region has not stopped since the ceasefire between them in May 1994. The history of the conflict it goes back even further to the end of the First World War, or culturally even further than that with the history between cultures in the context of the Tsarist Russian Empire (Crisis Group, 2007). For Armenia, the issue is one of self-determination for the ethnic Armenian majority living in the region. For Azerbaijan this is a question of territorial integrity (Crisis Group, 2007) because, although the region is de facto independent, it is recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Russia and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) were the main third parties involved in attempting to broker a peace agreement between the two, but without success (Herzig, 1999). Any effective solution to manage this conflict should take into careful consideration many aspects, including the historical nature of the conflict, the increasingly complex relationships not only between the parties involved in the conflict but also between third states and NGOs, and the hostile atmosphere between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has only increased in recent years due to vitriolic rhetoric, border clashes and the arms race. According to Croissant (1998) the origins of the animosity between Armenia and Azerbaijan developed under Tsarist Russian control, but also had much to do with relations with the Ottoman Empire. Pan-Turkism, a late nineteenth-century nationalist movement, became a popular ideology among Azerbaijanis and increased hostility against Armenians. It did this in two ways, the first was the racist nature of...... middle of paper......risis Group: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe /187_nagorno_karabakh___risCrisis Group. (2011, February 8). Armenia Azerbaijan: preventing war. Retrieved from Crisis Group: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/europe/caucasus/B60 Armenia and Azerbaijan --- Preventing War.pdfCroissant, M. (1998). The Aremnia-Azerbaijan conflict: causes and implications. Westport: Praeger.Danielyan, E. (2011, January 19). Armenia displays sophisticated air defense systems. Eurasia Daily Monitor.Herzig, E. (1999). The New Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. London: Chatham House Papers.Kambeck, M. &. (2013). The next avoidable war in Europe: Nagorno-Karabakh. Palgrave Macmillian. United States Institute of Peace. (1992). Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh: state sovereignty vs self-determination. Peace and conflict in emerging states: Transcaucasia.