Given the instability of the North Caucasus in general and Dagestan in particular, violence there seldom attracts much attention these days. But a new clash between villagers in Meusisha and officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and riot police (OMON)—combined with other developments in... MORE

On August 23, a former Chechen field commander and veteran of the second Chechen war, Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, was shot in Berlin. He was shot twice before the perpetrator attempted to flee the scene on a scooter. Although Moscow officially denies involvement in the assassination, according... MORE

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to visit Yerevan on November 10–11, during which time, Russia and Armenia are expected to sign a bilateral memorandum on cooperation in biomedicine. Reportedly, the negotiated document will guarantee Russian specialists (including the military) access to an advanced... MORE

This past month, Azerbaijan hosted two large inter-governmental gatherings: the 7thSummit of the Cooperation Council of the Turkic-Speaking States (Turkic Council), on October 15, and the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), on October 25 (Turkkon.org, October 15; Turksoy.org, October 16; Azernews.az, October 25).... MORE

On October 17, a few days after the start of the Turkish military incursion into northern Syria, Turkey’s ambassador to Georgia, Fatma Ceren Yazgan, who does not appear often in front of the press, invited Georgian and foreign journalists to a news conference in Tbilisi.... MORE

On October 3, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Russia to attend the 16th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, in Sochi (President.az, October 3). Aliyev’s speech at the high-level event touched on multiple topics, including Azerbaijan’s partnership with Russia,... MORE

The ministers of foreign affairs of Georgia and Russia, David Zalkaliani and Sergei Lavrov, respectively, met on September 26, in New York, on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Kommersant, September 27). This was the first ministerial-level meeting between... MORE

More than 20 years ago, Baku-based commentator Wafa Galuzade pointed out to this author that, for Russia in the South Caucasus, Georgia is the way and Armenia is the tool, but Azerbaijan is the prize. Yet, at some point, he added, Moscow would turn on... MORE

Russia’s “central role” in organizing the political space of rising non-Western Eurasia had been proclaimed at various forums and brainstormed by many political minds in previous years; but last week, President Vladimir Putin repeatedly attempted to give this notion new energy and content. His main... MORE

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh and the adjoining regions of Azerbaijan now occupied by Armenian forces is almost invariably discussed in terms of the positions held by Baku, Yerevan and Moscow. But the attitudes and feelings of the people most directly involved—the... MORE