South Caucasus

The signing of the an allied cooperation declaration with Russia should not come as a surprise since official Baku has long been maneuvering between Moscow and the West as much as it is possible to preserve its own “red lines” in terms of national interests, writes Fuad Shahbazov.

In an exclusive interview with commonspace.eu on the margins of his visit this week to The Hague, Georgia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Teimuraz Janjalia reiterated  his country's commitment to the Association Agreement signed with the EU in 2014. "The Association Agreement provides a basis for a strong value-based partnership between EU and Georgia, and we remain firmly committed to it".

"The EU’s reconsideration of its policies towards Armenia and Azerbaijan and its pursuit of a more balanced approach is likely to buttress the EU’s place in the post-war peace process and help it to play a more impactful mediating role", writes Vasif Husseynov in this op-ed. "If successful, this promises to have larger regional, and possibly geopolitical implications, for the South Caucasus, since the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations have so far been pursued mainly through the sole mediation of Russia".

A statement posted on the website of the European Council said that "President Michel and President Macron reaffirmed their full commitment to supporting efforts aimed at reducing tension and building trust in the region."

Johnny Melikian and Ramazan Samadov are members of a Joint Liaison Group of Armenian and Azerbaijani experts preparing a report on how confidence building measures can support lasting peace in the South Caucasus. In this joint paper they discuss the important role of connectivity, which they say is a key factor in building the region's future.

"For the countries in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, the current crisis between the West and Russia over Ukraine along with the US-Russian dialogue on European security issues are of existential importance in terms of their independent statehood and sovereignty", writes Vasif Huseynov in this op-ed. Almost all the former Soviet states in the region are under the risk of facing similar threats that now jeopardize Ukraine’s national security.

The conference, 'The EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood', was held over three sessions at The Hague Humanity Hub (city centre) in The Hague on Tuesday 23 November 2021. The first session addressed the topic, 'The EU and the process of reform and renewal in the Eastern Neighbourhood: six countries, six nuances and a giant elephant in the room'. Read the summary here.

In a statement issued to the media on Sunday evening (23 January), Sargissian indicated that he was frustrated at the lack of power of the presidency, which under the current Armenian constitution is largely an honorary position. In his statement Sargissian said, "the President does not have the necessary tools to influence the radical processes of domestic and foreign policy in these difficult times for the country and the nation."