Iran has officially taken a neutral position in the ongoing conflict, but public opinion, especially in the northern part of the country populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis, is strongly pro- Baku
Secretary of State Pompeo and High Representative Borrell spoke on the phone on a wide range of global issues, including the ongoing war in the South Caucasus
A meeting with Putin will therefore be in itself a positive sign. As always however, the devil will be in the detail, and even the personality of Mr Putin may not be enough to untangle this difficult crisis.
The absence of large numbers of international monitors creates risks for the fragile Georgian democracy. The observation efforts of local NGOs now becomes more important than ever.