
Latest Articles about South Caucasus

Turkey’s Ambitious Bid to Diversify Natural Gas Sources and Reduce Dependency on Russia
Ankara’s recent announcement in June 2023 on reducing Turkey’s heavy dependence on Russian gas has sent shockwaves through regional energy sectors. Berris Ekinci, acting general director of the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s Energy Department, made this groundbreaking statement during an energy security conference held in Washington.... MORE

Regional Ties Deepening Between Central Asia and South Caucasus
On June 23, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia established a joint logistics company to improve cargo transportation between Central Asia and the South Caucasus in both directions (Bm.ge, June 23). More recently, on July 17, Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov paid a visit to Georgia where... MORE

Ukrainian Trade Blockade: Foretaste of Russian Hegemony in Black Sea (Part Three)
*Read Part One. *Read Part Two. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) summit in Vilnius on July 11 and 12 upgraded the old NATO-Ukraine Commission to a NATO-Ukraine Council, which allows Ukraine to call for consultations during crisis situations (see EDM, July 13, 17, 19).... MORE

Ukrainian Trade Blockade: Foretaste of Russian Hegemony in the Black Sea (Part Two)
*Read Part One. Russia has turned much of the Black Sea into another theater of protracted conflict, adding a sizeable maritime dimension to the land dimension. This conflict at sea reproduces some key features of the preexisting, Russian-initiated protracted conflicts on land around the Black... MORE

Russia Stresses Its ‘Red Lines’ as Armenia and Azerbaijan Continue Peace Negotiations
On July 15, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met for the sixth time in Brussels via the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel to discuss the normalization of their bilateral relationship. The meeting took place, as Michel pointed out... MORE

Trade and Geopolitics in and Around Kazakhstan
On June 20, after meeting with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced Germany’s recent endorsement of Kazakhstan’s efforts to create alternative trade routes and transport corridors to Europe while bypassing Russia. Steinmeier declared that such measures would further prevent the Kremlin’s... MORE

NATO’s Indecision on Eastward Expansion Is a Window of Opportunity for Russia
At the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius on July 11 and 12, Georgia remained an outsider. Back in 2002, Tbilisi had declared its willingness to join the alliance, and, in 2008, together with Ukraine, Georgia received a promise of future membership. After... MORE

NATO’s 2023 Summit: Modest Expectations, Modest Results (Part Two)
*Read Part One. The Vilnius summit’s communiqué (July 11) agreed on by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members slightly advances Ukraine’s membership prospects by mentioning the possibility of an “invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance” (Nato.int, July 11, Paragraph 11). The word “invitation”... MORE

NATO’s 2023 Summit: Modest Expectations, Modest Results (Part One)
How to respond to Russia’s onslaught against Ukraine was the central question confronting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) summit of heads of state in Vilnius on July 11 and 12. With the war well into its second year, the alliance again fell short of... MORE

What Will Iran’s SCO Membership Mean for Security Arrangements in Central Asia?
On July 4, Iran officially became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during a virtual summit hosted by India for the SCO Heads of State Council (Shargh Daily, July 4). Iran initially joined as an “observer member without voting rights” at the... MORE