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.

Editor's choice
Opinion
From Baku to Yerevan: A New Chapter for Multitrack Diplomacy

From Baku to Yerevan: A New Chapter for Multitrack Diplomacy

Towards the end of October, a lone Azerbaijani Airlines Gulfstream G650 landed in Yerevan, Armenia. It wasn’t the first to do so in over three decades of conflict but it could well change the future of multitrack diplomacy. Although mutual visits by Azerbaijanis to Armenia and Armenians to Azerbaijan are also not new, before October's flight they always occurred under the auspices of an international organisation or intergovernmental body including countries outside the region. Last month’s visit not only flew direct between the capitals but was bilaterally agreed.

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Editor's choice
News
EU to Georgia: Sort out your political issues

EU to Georgia: Sort out your political issues

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, "underlined the vital importance of Georgian political parties finding common ground on the current political situation" in a meeting on Thursday (21 January) with visiting Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili.
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News
Lavrov explains Russia's role in Karabakh

Lavrov explains Russia's role in Karabakh

Sergei Lavrov dismissed suggestions that Nagorno-Karabakh be annexed to Russia and said that the status issue needs to be resolved between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Lavrov indicated that there will be a role for the OSCE Minsk Group in resolving the status problem. Lavrov was speaking at the annual marathon new year press conference where he reviewed the work of his ministry in 2020.
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News
Aliyev: "The great return begins"

Aliyev: "The great return begins"

"Azerbaijan faces a big challenge in restoring the territories it has retaken, most of which had been left delipidated for nearly three decades. There is first the task of cleaning the territories from land mines and other unexploded ordinance. Then laying down the infrastructure, such as roads and airports, and of course houses to enable the hundreds of thousands of people displaced in the 1990s and their families, to return. It is a huge task which president Aliyev appears to be cherishing. 'The great return' will dominate his agenda for the years to come".
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Opinion
Opinion: The elusive quest for peace in the Caucasus

Opinion: The elusive quest for peace in the Caucasus

Peace in the Caucasus for the last three decades has been elusive, and appears to remain so. Lulls between fighting sometimes offer some respite from the violence, but real peace remains absent. It is now needed more than ever, but the "Pax Putin" is not the solution, argues Dennis Sammut in this op-ed
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News
Is the Karabakh conflict resolved, or not resolved?

Is the Karabakh conflict resolved, or not resolved?

It seems that there is no agreement as to whether the Karabakh conflict is resolved or not. Azerbaijan is willing to accept the status quo de facto, although it still claims those parts of Karabakh still under the control of Armenians. For the Armenians, the status of Karabakh remains an important issue since they hope that they can salvage something, after their military defeat, through political negotiations in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.
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Putin hosts Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders for talks on Karabakh settlement (Updated)

Putin hosts Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders for talks on Karabakh settlement (Updated)

Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for discussions on the implementation of the Karabakh settlement envisaged in the 10 November trilateral statement which ended fighting in the second Karabakh war. The three leaders signed a joint statement at the end of the four hour meeting.