
Latest Articles about South Caucasus

Georgian Government Insists on Direct Talk With Moscow-Backed Separatists
On March 9, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili appealed to the government of Russia to take “reasonable, at least minimal steps, for bringing [Georgian-Russian] relations out of [their] vicious cycle.” Moreover, he once again reiterated Tbilisi’s readiness to engage Abkhazian and Ossetian separatists in direct... MORE

Armenia Annuls Zurich Protocols With Turkey, but Hopes for New Engagement
On March 1, Armenia’s National Security Council officially scrapped the Zürich Protocols, signed with Turkey on October 10, 2009, under the internationally mediated normalization and reconciliation process also known as “soccer diplomacy” (1in.am, March 1). Covertly launched in mid-2007 but intensified and made public since... MORE

Will the Georgian Opposition Unite Before the Presidential Elections?
Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who lives in the Netherlands after having been expelled from Ukraine, recently addressed the Georgian opposition. Saakashvili encouraged his party United National Movement (UNM), which he still chairs, to unite with other pro-Western parties and put forward a “single candidate”... MORE

Georgia’s Much Celebrated Visa Liberalization With European Union Comes Under Threat
Exactly one year ago, in Mach 2017, Georgia celebrated the launch of the much-sought-after visa-free travel rules (so-called visa liberalization) with the European Union. The event was considered of such high political importance for Georgia that the country’s prime minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, called it an... MORE

Georgia Risks De Facto Recognition of Breakaway Regions by Opening Direct Talks
Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili died in custody in breakaway Tskhinvali Region (South Ossetia), on February 23 (Civil Georgia, February 23). Subsequently, the de-facto authorities have refused to hand over the body of the deceased (Civil Georgia, February 26) or to allow the return of two... MORE

Azerbaijan Seeks to Enhance Military Cooperation With Iran
Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami visited Azerbaijan, on February 21, to discuss the expansion of military cooperation (technical, medical, educational, joint defense industry), regional stability, as well as Caspian security (Mod.gov.az, Mdi.gov.az, February 21). Hatami expressed Iran’s interest in increasing Azerbaijan’s military power and in... MORE

Russia Pushes CSTO Countries to Legalize Private Military and Security Companies
The Secretariat of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) Parliamentary Assembly is currently examining a bill on private military and security organizations (Private Military Companies—PMC) (RIA Novosti, February 5). If adopted inside the Moscow-led alliance, the individual CSTO member states will then be tasked with... MORE

US Ambassador Urges Georgia to Better Communicate its Pro-Western Agenda
On February 20, the US Ambassador to Georgia, Ian Kelly, took part in the opening of the Strategic Communication Training program for Georgian public servants. This program aims to boost the communication skills of government employees in Georgia, both on the national and regional levels.... MORE

Georgia Moves to Adopt ‘Total Defense’ Posture
The Georgian Parliament endorsed in its first hearing the country’s new military reserve system, concluding a nearly year-long working process on its reform (Civil Georgia, January 30, 2017; see EDM, May 25, 2017). The respective amendments, drafted by the Ministry of Defense, will come into force on June... MORE

Perfect Timing: Azerbaijan Calls Snap Presidential Elections
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has moved up this year’s presidential elections to April 11, instead of the originally scheduled date of October 17 (President.az, February 5). The unexpected decision sparked heated debates inside the country, focusing mainly on the possible technical-practical and domestic aspects of... MORE