Latest Articles about South Caucasus
SOUTH OSSETIA PEACE PLANS SMELL OF GUNPOWDER
The current situation in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region shows that the December 2005 plans for a peaceful settlement of this 16-year old conflict (see EDM, December 15, 2005) largely remain on paper. There is no progress toward conflict settlement despite the increased political and... MORE
PUTIN-SAAKASHVILI MIDNIGHT MEETING: FUTILE BUT NECESSARY
Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia held a three-hour meeting and joint news conference in St. Petersburg during the night of June 13-14. Saakashvili, who had solicited this meeting, succeeded in demonstrating Georgia's mature approach to the contentious issues beyond Western... MORE
OPPOSITION FEARS SAAKASHVILI WILL MANIPULATE — OR CANCEL — LOCAL ELECTIONS
The upcoming local elections in Georgia, and the controversial electoral code guiding the vote, have already triggered confrontations between the government and the opposition and even within the opposition camp. Currently the parliament is scrutinizing amendments to the election code proposed by the ruling National... MORE
ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GEARS UP FOR PRESIDENCY
Armenia's second most powerful official, Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, is eliminating the last remaining doubts about his intention to succeed President Robert Kocharian after the latter completes a second five-year term in office in 2008. The past few weeks have made it even clearer that... MORE
ISRAEL SHOWS INTEREST IN AZERBAIJANI ENERGY AND TRADE PROJECTS
While attending the annual Caspian Oil and Gas show in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on June 8, Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said that his country was interested in exporting Azerbaijani oil. “We and the Azerbaijani side are interested in transporting Azerbaijani... MORE
BLACK SEA FORUM SEEKING ITS RATIONALE
Presidents Traian Basescu of Romania, Vladimir Voronin of Moldova, Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, Robert Kocharian of Armenia, and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan were joined by senior officials from the United States, Turkey, Bulgaria, and international organizations at the inaugural session of... MORE
CAN ABKHAZ AND GEORGIAN PEACE PLANS COEXIST?
As expected, the Abkhaz separatists rejected the peace plan that the Georgian government had offered in response to an earlier Abkhaz framework (see EDM, May 10). Sergei Shamba, the self-styled Abkhaz foreign minister, had officially submitted the Abkhaz plan while he was Tbilisi on May... MORE
ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN UNDER STRONG PRESSURE TO HAMMER OUT KARABAKH PEACE
The United States, Russia, and France are stepping up pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan in a last-ditch attempt to secure a framework agreement settling the Karabakh conflict this year. The three powers co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group have set the stage for yet another Armenian-Azerbaijani... MORE
AZERBAIJANI PUBLIC OUTRAGED BY SLAUGHTER OF AZERIS IN IRAN
A peaceful demonstration by Azeris in the Iranian city of Tabriz and the subsequent violent crackdown on the protestors by Iranian law-enforcement agencies has resulted in public outrage in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Politicians, non-governmental organizations, and the general public have condemned the Iranian... MORE
LAW-ENFORCEMENT REVIEW PROVOKES CONFLICT IN SAAKASHVILI’S GOVERNMENT
A report presented to Georgia's Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights on May 19 exposed severe violations in Georgia's law enforcement system and correctional facilities. The unusually harsh report by State Ombudsman Sozar Subari, known as a staunch backer of the Rose Revolution and President Mikheil... MORE