CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ContEurVIII2 | Page 47

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VIII (2) ANNA KARAPETYAN THE NEW DYNAMICS OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTERNAL PROCESSES IN ARMENIA IN 2018 Received October 1, 2019, Accepted November 20, 2019 Abstract: The developments in and around Armenia after 2017 directly and indirectly impacted the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, influencing both negotiations and their perceptions. The internal political processes of Armenia during 2018 (known as the "Velvet Revolution") initiated active political changes, which, despite the declared continuation of the course of Armenian foreign policy, brought certain changes to the process of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the developments surrounding it. The public perception of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict underwent certain transformations, and the Armenian authorities came up with new emphases and approaches, forming new tendencies in international perceptions and expectations. The aim of this article is to examine the transformation of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict settlement process and its perception in the context of modern political processes, both domestic and international, and to highlight key tendencies. Keywords: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, political modernization, democratization, Artsakh Republic, perceptions of the conflict. Introduction The process of political modernization and democratization supposes the transformation of values of the political elite and society. F. Fukuyama considers development to be a result of changes in four main dimensions: economic growth, social mobilization, changes in ideas, and political development. 1 In the case of revolutionary developments and rapid modernization, this transformation occurs faster and not necessarily proportional. There is a high likelihood of uncertainty in the post- modernization phase as well, and especially in the transition period. 2                                                              1 Francis Fukuyama, “Political Order and Political Decay”, The American Interest, August 28, 2014, http://www.the-american-interest.com/2014/08/28/political-order-and-political- decay/ (accessed September 20, 2019). 2 Shmuel Eisenstadt, “Disruptions to Modernization” Neprikosnovenniy zapas, № 6 (2010), 42-67, (in Russian) https://magazines.gorky.media/nz/2010/6/sryvy- modernizaczii.html (accessed September 20, 2019). 47