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Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform: Members emphasise the importance of the present moment for the South Caucasus and call for the momentum to be used for the long-term peace and prosperity of the region
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Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform: Members emphasise the importance of the present moment for the South Caucasus and call for the momentum to be used for the long-term peace and prosperity of the region

2 March 2026
On 27 February 2026, the members of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform met in Antwerp, Belgium, to assess developments in the South Caucasus following the initialling of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on 8 August 2025 at the White House. The members described the present moment as one of major importance for the region and its neighbours, urging leaders and societies alike to use the current momentum to secure long-term peace and prosperity. Established in 2024 with the support of LINKS Europe, the Platform provides a space for direct dialogue and joint analysis between Armenian and Azerbaijani experts. The members also reaffirmed the importance of continued international engagement and expressed strong support for LINKS Europe’s ongoing peacebuilding work in the region. (Click on the image above for the full statement.)
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Thursday Interview: Dr. Anar Valiyev
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Thursday Interview: Dr. Anar Valiyev

27 February 2026
Dr. Anar Valiyev is an Associate Professor of Urban and Public Affairs at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan, with more than 18 years of experience in higher education. His research focuses on public policy, urban development, governance, and post-Soviet regional affairs. He holds a PhD in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Louisville and has published widely on urbanisation, policy reform, and regional connectivity in the South Caucasus and beyond. This week, commonspace.eu spoke with Dr. Valiyev in Brussels ahead of a roundtable jointly organised by LINKS Europe Foundation and the European Policy Centre. He is taking part in a panel discussion focusing on the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process, its implications for both countries and the wider region, the involvement of the European Union and the United States, and the challenges that lie ahead. In this interview, he reflects on how his research has evolved over nearly two decades in academia, examines the transformative potential of regional connectivity and trade, discusses the strategic role of energy in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, and highlights the importance of people-to-people ties through education as a form of long-term soft power. (Read the full interview by clicking on the image above)
Lauri Nikulainen interviews Dr. Anar Valiyev
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Public Service Announcement: How to slow the spread of the virus, and how to recognise the signs

21 March 2020

Will Murray presents the latest figures on the global pandemic and shares the best practices on how to keep safe

We have now passed 10,000 COVID-19 related deaths with over 250,000 cases globally. Over the last 24 hours, Italy has overtaken China in virus-related deaths, despite the latter having nearly twice the number of cases and being where the virus originated. Some have questioned the accuracy of Chinese figures, whilst others have blamed Italy's death toll on the collapse of the Italian health service in certain areas.

The most number of deaths occur when intensive care beds are unavailable. Public experts continue to advise the following preventative measures, to slow the spread of the virus and limit the strain on health services:

-          Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;

-          Cough and Sneeze into tissues or your elbow;

-          Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;

-          Even without symptoms, you should work from home when possible and avoid social venues;

-          Practice social distancing;

-          Avoid close contact with people that are unwell as much as possible.

 Britain's National Health Service (NHS) has provided guidelines for those that are showing symptoms. If you have the following symptoms, you should stay at home for at least 7 days or when your temperature returns to normal:

  • A high temperature - 
  • you feel hot to touch on your chest or back;
  • A new continuous cough.

If you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms, as it can take time for symptoms to appear. If you show symptoms and live with someone over the age of 70 or with vulnerable health, the NHS recommends trying to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days and limiting contact with them as much as possible if necessary to cohabit.  

Useful Resources

BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51711227

NHS advice on symptoms and staying at home

https://twitter.com/NHSuk/status/1240551014413074433

 MarketWatch - Italy overtakes China:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/more-people-have-now-died-in-italy-than-china-due-to-the-coronavirus-2020-03-19

 

 

 

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Editor's choice
News
Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform: Members emphasise the importance of the present moment for the South Caucasus and call for the momentum to be used for the long-term peace and prosperity of the region
Trending

Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform: Members emphasise the importance of the present moment for the South Caucasus and call for the momentum to be used for the long-term peace and prosperity of the region

2 March 2026
On 27 February 2026, the members of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Strategic Expert Platform met in Antwerp, Belgium, to assess developments in the South Caucasus following the initialling of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on 8 August 2025 at the White House. The members described the present moment as one of major importance for the region and its neighbours, urging leaders and societies alike to use the current momentum to secure long-term peace and prosperity. Established in 2024 with the support of LINKS Europe, the Platform provides a space for direct dialogue and joint analysis between Armenian and Azerbaijani experts. The members also reaffirmed the importance of continued international engagement and expressed strong support for LINKS Europe’s ongoing peacebuilding work in the region. (Click on the image above for the full statement.)

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Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov
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Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

15 January 2026
Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)
Murad Muradov
Lauri Nikulainen interviews Murad Muradov