Global

Countries may have politely accepted Joe Biden's summit invitation, but many have no appetite for a new cold war, writes Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed.

The seventh round of talks between the JCPOA countries and Iran — and the first one with the new Iranian government — have been suspended on Friday (3 December) after European countries claimed that Iran walked back from all previous diplomatic progress. The talks are suspended till next week as negotiators are likely to head back to their capitals to seek instruction on the new situation. 

During the talks, Blinken reiterated the US position that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be quickly answered, including with tough sanctions against Moscow. "The best way to avert the crisis is through diplomatic means and that is what I hope to discuss with Sergei", Blinken said ahead of the conversation.

The recent visit of the head of the CIA to Moscow had two objectives: first to renew the contacts between the CIA and the FIS on operational issues related to countering international terrorism; the second to pave the way for further high level contacts including possible meetings between Biden and Putin. Professor Lieutenant General (ret.) Hayk Kotanjian in this op-ed says the importance of the visit should not be underestimated.

The "corridors war", currently being hotly debated among experts, pundits, and policy-making circles in the South Caucasus, is largely based on wishful thinking rather than hard facts. In reality the options are rather limited, argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed.