Region

South Caucasus

The South Caucasus – a region encompassing Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia - is one of strategic importance, not only for adjacent countries, such as Turkiye, Russia, Iran and the Central Asian states, but also for neighbours such as the European Union and the GCC states, and globally for the United States, India, China, Pakistan and Japan.

commonspace.eu team brings decades of experience of working in the South Caucasus and we are pleased to share our insights with our loyal readers through the website, and the sister newsletter, Caucasus Concise.

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2nd South Caucasus Dialogue Forum held successfully in Tbilisi. Next forum will be held in Yerevan and after that in Baku

2nd South Caucasus Dialogue Forum held successfully in Tbilisi. Next forum will be held in Yerevan and after that in Baku

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.

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US intelligence report highlights Russian influence over Georgia

US intelligence report highlights Russian influence over Georgia

Following the parliamentary elections of October 2024, the ruling Georgian Dream party created favourable conditions for the growth of Russian influence in the region according to the annual report of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that has just been presented to the US Congress. The report says Moscow is almost certainly seeking to bring Georgia back into its sphere of influence and has already made progress through internal political developments in the country.
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Pashinyan tells Yerevan Dialogue lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is within reach

Pashinyan tells Yerevan Dialogue lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is within reach

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the Yerevan Dialogue that “sustainable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not only possible, but within reach” as he delivered an update on the current status of peace talks to participants of the 2nd annual forum on Monday. Negotiations over a draft agreement were completed in March, and Armenia and Azerbaijan indicated their willingness to sign it.
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EU - Azerbaijan Security Dialogue held in Brussels

EU - Azerbaijan Security Dialogue held in Brussels

The 6th round of the Security Dialogue between the European Union and Azerbaijan was held in Brussels, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Head of the Delegation to the EU Vaqif Sadiqov wrote on his page on X.  The meeting was co-chaired by Hikmet Hajiyev, the Assistant of the President of Azerbaijan & Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration and Olof Skoog, the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service. 
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Aliyev and Pashinyan meet over coffee in Tirana

Aliyev and Pashinyan meet over coffee in Tirana

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on the sidelines of the sixth European Political Community Summit that brought together leaders of 47 countries. The two sides discussed the current situation and underlined the importance of continuing efforts toward signing a peace agreement. No details of the meeting held on 16 May have been disclosed but published photographs and video footage show Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev informally across a coffee table.
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Talks on Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations held in Astana

Talks on Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations held in Astana

Khalaf Khalafov, the Azerbaijani President's Representative on Special Assignments, has held a number of meetings in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. As part of the trip, Khalafov met with Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan & Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Erzhan Kazykhan, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for External Affairs.
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Opinion
Azerbaijan and the EU should seize the new momentum in bilateral relations

Azerbaijan and the EU should seize the new momentum in bilateral relations

On April 25, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas paid a visit to Azerbaijan. This was the first visit of the EU’s top diplomat to Baku in the past nine years. Both sides gave positive messages during the visit about the existing situation in bilateral relations and future prospects. President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s position as a dependable EU partner, drawing attention to the Southern Gas Corridor’s steady supply of natural gas to Europe over the past four years. Currently, ten European nations – eight of them EU members – receive Azerbaijani gas, positioning Baku as a major contributor to the continent’s energy security. Aliyev also pointed to effective collaboration under the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and noted promising opportunities in renewable energy. Azerbaijan’s involvement in advancing the Trans-Caspian Energy Corridor and joint Black Sea energy projects with countries like Georgia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria was also underscored.
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Opinion
Opinion: Landmine free South Caucasus – the job is far from finished

Opinion: Landmine free South Caucasus – the job is far from finished

The South Caucasus remains one of the world's most landmine-affected regions, littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Although Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia each face this challenge in their own way, none has fully overcome it. For the three countries of the South Caucasus, winning this battle requires a holistic regional approach, something which has so far eluded them because of political circumstances and historical tensions. From October 2018 to March 2024, LINKS Europe Foundation, with the support of the European Union (EU), led the regional campaign ‘Landmine Free South Caucasus’, prioritising awareness raising and regional cooperation. The campaign was delivered in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia with the participation of demining agencies, official bodies and civil society organisations. Active simultaneously in all three countries and communicated in five languages, the campaign reached thousands of people and mobilised policymakers and opinion-shapers across the region.
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Irakli Kobakhidze reappointed Chairman of Georgian Dream

Irakli Kobakhidze reappointed Chairman of Georgian Dream

Irakli Kobakhidze has once again become the chairman of Georgian Dream, the party founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili in 2012 which has since been in power in Georgia. Ivanishvili is the party’s honorary chairman and is widely seen as the country’s shadow ruler. Kobakhidze is also the current prime minister of Georgia and had previously served as party chairman until February 2024. At that time, a political reshuffle took place with then Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili becoming party chairman, while Kobakhidze was nominated for the prime minister’s post.