Latest Articles about South Caucasus
Military Supplies to Armenia Escalate Tensions in South Caucasus
Executive Summary: Armenia is making moves to distance itself from Russia and reduce economic and military dependence on Moscow through deals with other states, including France, India, and, allegedly, Iran. The expanding military supplies to Armenia are stirring up tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan and threatening... MORE
Armenia Reaches ‘Point of No Return’ in Withdrawal From CSTO
Executive Summary: On July 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that Armenia plans to withdraw from the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization. This confirmation follows agreements for Russian border guards to leave Armenia, further moving Yerevan away from Russian influence. For now, Yerevan has... MORE
Russia Intends to Change Demographic Situation in Occupied Abkhazia
Executive Summary: Pro-Russian officials in Abkhazia are lobbying for the adoption of laws that will allow Russian citizens to buy real estate in the breakaway republic, where, in the 1990s, with the help of the Russian army, separatists carried out the ethnic cleansing of the... MORE
Georgia’s Ruling Elite Plans to Maintain Power by Fragmenting Opposition
Executive Summary: In the lead-up to the October parliamentary elections in Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is campaigning to obtain a “constitutional majority” despite showing concern about the possibility of losing power amid decreasing approval ratings. The pro-Western opposition in Georgia is fragmented... MORE
Azerbaijan Strengthens Trilateral Cooperation With Pakistan and Türkiye
Executive Summary: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Islamabad and the trilateral meeting of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Türkiye in early July highlight growing cooperation in various fields among the three countries in trying to gain more influence over regional trade and transit. Baku and Ankara... MORE
Armenia Looks West to Reduce Nuclear Energy Dependency on Russia
Executive Summary Armenia plans to replace its aging Soviet-era Metsamor nuclear reactor by 2036 and is currently engaged in talks with other countries, including Russia and the United States, to replace it. Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan announced that talks with the United States... MORE
Iran’s Paradoxical Expectations for Political Developments in Armenia
Executive Summary: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is moving Armenian foreign policy away from traditional alliances with Russia and Iran, favoring closer ties with the West which could be an important paradigm shift in its foreign policy after dependence on Moscow and Tehran. Yerevan’s new... MORE
Azerbaijan Expands Ties With China and Iran, Benefiting Moscow and Hurting West
Executive Summary: In the last two weeks, Azerbaijan’s ties to China and Iran have warmed significantly, with Baku and Beijing declaring a strategic partnership and Baku and Tehran announcing the reopening of an Azerbaijani embassy in Iran. In the South Caucasus, these accords will affect... MORE
United States Freezes Military Cooperation With Georgia
Executive Summary: The United States announced an indefinite postponement of joint military exercises with Georgia that were originally scheduled for the end of July due to Tbilisi’s adoption of the Russian-style “foreign agents” law. Georgia is heavily reliant on Western, specifically US and EU, funding... MORE
United States Encourages Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign Peace Treaty ‘Without Delay’
Executive Summary: The United States has expressed that it is willing to support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, highlighted in US Deputy Secretary of State James O’Brien’s recent visit to the two countries. Washington views the peace process between Baku and Yerevan as... MORE