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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News
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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Event
Armenia's landmine problem discussed at Yerevan event

Armenia's landmine problem discussed at Yerevan event

The keynote speaker in the conference “Mobilising national and international efforts to make Armenia free of landmines and unexploded ordnance” was the newly appointed Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise, Mr Vaghinak Sargsyan, who gave a detailed report of the ongoing efforts of the Centre to clear Armenia of landmines and other unexploded ordnance. Mr Sargsyan said that the role of the Centre was also educational and CHDE was working to increase awareness of the problem of landmines not only in affected communities, but also nation-wide. Mr Sargsyan said that CHDE was open to work in co-operation with international partners for this objective.
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Commentary
Georgia Elections: Beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

Georgia Elections: Beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

Georgians are voting today in the second round of local elections to choose Mayors and local Councillors in a number of key cities where the first round of voting, held on 2 October was inconclusive. The total number of voters eligible to vote in the second round is 2,088,722 - around half of which in the capital, Tbilisi. Georgians appear to be tired of the non stop polorised politics that has dominated public life in recent years, but it is unlikely that the elections will bring a closure to the huge divide within Georgian society.
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News
Thousands rally in Tbilisi in support of governing party ahead of key elections

Thousands rally in Tbilisi in support of governing party ahead of key elections

The political situation in Georgia had been building up to a crisis for some time, and the situation became more tense following the return to the country of former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who had earlier been sentenced to several terms of imprisonment for crimes committed during his term of office. Saakashvili was duly arrested and has since gone on hunger strike.
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Opinion
Opinion: In the South Caucasus there is a new hope for peace

Opinion: In the South Caucasus there is a new hope for peace

For the first time in decades, in the South Caucasus there is a new hope for peace. In separate articles for our sister website, Karabakhspace.eu, Benyamin Poghosyan and Vasif Husseynov discuss recent developments, including the emerging role of Georgia as a trusted intermediary.
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News
Thousands rally in Tbilisi calling for the release of former president Saakashvili

Thousands rally in Tbilisi calling for the release of former president Saakashvili

Saakashvili remains popular with some segments of Georgian society, particularly in Western Georgia. Thousands travelled to Tbilisi to participate in the rally. However many Georgians have negative memories of Saakashvili's presidency and do not want to see his return to public office.
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Baku conference told that the return of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis displaced by the first Karabakh War was hindered by the huge problem of landmines

Baku conference told that the return of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis displaced by the first Karabakh War was hindered by the huge problem of landmines

The conference ‘Overcoming the challenges of landmines in Azerbaijan’s quest for peace, development and reconstruction’ was held on Tuesday, 12 October 2021. The event was organised in the framework of the 2021 campaign, ‘Landmine Free South Caucasus’ by LINKS Europe, in association with the Caucasus Policy Analysis Centre, with the participation of ANAMA, the State Demining Agency of Azerbaijan.
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Georgia pushes forward with its “Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative”

Georgia pushes forward with its “Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative”

After his visit to Baku at the end of September, Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili this weekend paid a working visit to Armenia for meetings with his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan. According to the website of the Georgian Government, the initiative was at the centre of the discussions in Yerevan between the two prime ministers. Garibashvili reaffirmed the readiness of Georgia to continue its active facilitation role in order to ensure peace, stability and the gradual transformation of the South Caucasus into a region of new opportunities, development and peace.
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Opinion
Opinion: In the South Caucasus, Tehran has its red lines too

Opinion: In the South Caucasus, Tehran has its red lines too

For 30 years, Iran has adopted a cautious approach to developments in the South Caucasus, wary of the risk of encirclement. Iran's current massive military drills on the border with Azerbaijan are meant to send a signal that Tehran has its red lines too, argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed for commonspace.eu
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News
Georgia divided: results from local elections show the country split in half between government and opposition

Georgia divided: results from local elections show the country split in half between government and opposition

Results are coming in from local elections held in Georgia on Saturday, 2 October and it appears that the country is split in half between those supporting the ruling Georgian Dream party and others supporting opposition parties. Elections will have to go to a second round because none of the contestants secured the necessary 50% in the Mayoral elections five self-governing major cities: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Poti and Rustavi.