The Role of Nagorno Karabakh in the Narrative of the Construction of the National Identity of Azerbaijan and a New Post-conflict Identity

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over control of the territory of Nagorno Karabakh has impregnated the construction of post-Soviet national identity in both Caucasian republics for three decades. In 2020 Azerbaijan regained control of the territories and restored its territorial integrity in accordance with international law and UN resolutions. This research analyses the construction of the Azerbaijani national identity marked by the events of January 20, 1990, a policy of promoting major events and an initial stage based on oil production and export. In December 2023 the country was chosen to host the COP29 meeting and thus joins other fossil energy producing countries promoting the renewable energy industry. In this frame, the Azerbaijani authorities promoted the construction of a narrative about Nagorno Karabakh based on renewable energies, an ecological approach in the creation of a new local economy and the promotion of smart villages to welcome the return of internally displaced people.