Recent weeks have revealed a rift between Armenia’s two most powerful leaders that could have far-reaching implications for the political future of the South Caucasus state. President Robert Kocharian is reportedly monitoring with unease the efforts by Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, his hitherto chief lieutenant... MORE

Georgian authorities have successfully restored legal order and are starting intensive development work in the hitherto isolated upper part of the Kodori Gorge. Tbilisi-based authorities of the pre-1992 Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia are now relocating to upper Kodori, the only part of Abkhazia not controlled... MORE

Georgia will hold elections for local governments in early December, Giorgi Arveladze, head of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration, announced on August 7. Arveladze mentioned two reasons for choosing that month: to allow incumbent governments time to complete projects and to allow the new governments to... MORE

The ongoing military operations between Israel and Lebanon have sparked popular protests and heated debates in Azerbaijan. Although a predominantly Muslim country, Azerbaijan prides itself on being a secular country and having strong ties with Israel and the United States. Nevertheless, the high rate of... MORE

Opponents have long criticized Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for not adopting a consistent strategy for the country’s economic development. The past five years have brought unprecedented levels of unemployment, rising prices, and declining standards of living to many households. Salaries in Georgia are reported to... MORE

Armenia’s economy is on track to expand at a double-digit rate for a sixth consecutive year, earning the government in Yerevan more praise from Western lending institutions. The Armenian authorities say that growth may slow down in the coming years but will still be strong... MORE

The Georgian government claims to have restored “constitutional order” in the upper Kodori Gorge -- the sole Georgia-controlled part of breakaway Abkhazia. As a result of a special operation by police and army units, the Kodori-based paramilitary group “Monadire” (Hunter) and its chieftain, Emzar Kvitsiani,... MORE

A U.S.-funded opinion poll released this month paints an interesting, if contradictory, picture of the geopolitical preferences of Armenia’s population. It shows that the vast majority of Armenians continue to support the close political and military ties with Russia maintained by their government. At the... MORE