South Caucasus

The Thematic Groups for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue have produced four reports which set out a vision for relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, over the next 15 years. The reports cover four key areas: (1) Peace and Security; (2) Regional Connectivity; (3) Good Governance; and (4) Environment. 42 Armenians and Azerbaijanis were directly involved in preparing the reports as part of the Thematic Groups. Another thirty Armenians and Azerbaijanis contributed to the process. The Thematic Groups were an initiative of LINKS Europe within the framework of EU4Peace 3, a programme supported by the European Union. An ACTION COMMITTEE FOR A NEW ARMENIAN AZERBAIJANI DIALOGUE has now been established, made up of the Chair and Deputy Chairs of the four groups that produced and agreed on the reports. The members of the Action Committee are: Murad Muradov, Leonid Nersisian, Narek Minasyan, Fidan Namazova, Sargis Kharatyunyan, Nigar Gurbanli, Aghavni Kharatyunyan, and Ramazan Samadov.  The first co-chairs of the Action Committee, for the 1st eight month semester are Murad Muradov and Leonid Nersisian. The Action Committee is responsible for the dissemination of the four reports, their eventual updating, and for contributing to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue and Peace and regional co-operation. LINKS Europe has appointed a Special Advisor to the Action Committee and will provide the Secretariat. The committee will work until December 2027. (click to title to read more or to download the reports)

Towards the end of October, a lone Azerbaijani Airlines Gulfstream G650 landed in Yerevan, Armenia. It wasn’t the first to do so in over three decades of conflict but it could well change the future of multitrack diplomacy. Although mutual visits by Azerbaijanis to Armenia and Armenians to Azerbaijan are also not new, before October's flight they always occurred under the auspices of an international organisation or intergovernmental body including countries outside the region. Last month’s visit not only flew direct between the capitals but was bilaterally agreed.

The 2nd South Caucasus Dialogue Forum was successfully held in the Georgian Capital, Tbilisi, on Tuesday, 28 October 2025, with the participation of over seventy experts, activists, diplomats and journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and from a dozen European countries and organisations. The forum is an initiative of LINKS Europe, working with partners across the South Caucasus. This year's forum was special because of the participation of around forty Armenian and Azerbaijanis members of the Thematic Groups for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue.  The 2nd South Caucasus Dialogue Forum provided for a very thorough and interesting discussion of current developments in the region. In the Forum the Armenian and Azerbaijani members were also joined by Georgian participants, as well as representatives of the EUSR Office, EUMA and Ambassadors and diplomats from around ten European countries. Also actively participating were the members of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Expert Strategic Platform. During the Forum it was announced that the 3rd Forum will be held in Yerevan in 2026, whilst the 4th Forum will be held in Baku is 2027, accompanying the process and meetings of the European Political Community, which are also expected to be held in the two countries in 2026/7. It was also announced that the members of the Strategic Expert Platform, working under the auspices of LINKS Europe (Dr Dennis Sammut, Chair, Dr Anar Veliyev, Mr Ramazan Samadov and Mr Mehman Aliyev (members Azerbaijan); Mr Stepan Grigoryan, Mr Benyamin Poghosyan and Mr Johnny Melikyan, members Armenia;) shall form the Political Preparatory Committee for the two events.

Tensions are mounting in Armenia ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, with the nation’s future hanging in the balance. Despite the excitement surrounding the Trump-brokered Washington Declaration in August, it is unclear whether it can overcome the lingering division that set in after defeat by Azerbaijan in the 44-day war. Recent surveys have shown a slight majority against the proposed TRIPP.

Will the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) set to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhijevan and Türkiye via Armenia help establish lasting peace and prosperity for all?  Interestingly, if the Washington Declaration speaks about restoration of all communications, with reciprocal benefits for Armenia, the spotlight has been about the TRIPP and only about it. This oversight misses a vital point necessary for lasting peace and stability in the region.

The 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on 7 October 2025 in Gabala, Azerbaijan, marked a decisive stage in the evolution of integration within the Turkic world. Under the theme “Regional Peace and Security,” the summit, chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, brought together leaders from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and observer states Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Gabala’s historical symbolism as a crossroads of the Caucasus and Central Asia reflected the OTS’s broader vision of unity, connectivity, and shared destiny.

Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the untimely passing of Armenian theatrical director turned peace activist Georgi Vanyan. He was 58.