Monday, December 4, 2023

Azerbaijan

With Armenia defeated tensions between Yerevan and Russia reach a turning point

Relations between Armenia and its traditional strategic partner Russia are deteriorating fast. With Yerevan's fundamental defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh - the 30-year-old Moscow-backed separatist region...

The Iranian regime is becoming ruthlessly paranoid about ethnic Azeri demands for civil rights guarantees

Complete disregard for the well-being of Iran’s Azeri minority has sparked a wave of intense anger within the community.

Azerbaijan planning to launch green energy exports to Europe

Azerbaijan, which is already a main exporter of oil and gas, plans to develop its renewable energy potential, especially offshore wind in the Caspian...

Turkey’s seismic shift

This breakthrough in normalization between Armenia and Turkey comes amid a much wider context, well beyond the simple validation of earthquake diplomacy to elevate crisis response over conflict retention. 

Armenia’s parliament could take steps to severely curtail press freedom in the country

Armenian authorities appear to be using the South Caucasus nation's military conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan as an excuse to curtail press freedom.On January 6,...

Azerbaijan’s opening of an embassy in Israel is a major tectonic shift on the regional geopolitical map

With the regional geopolitical situation as it is, and amidst pressure and threats on multiple fronts, Azerbaijan has responded with a key decision to bolster relations with a key ally by formally opening an embassy in Israel.

TAP pipeline transports first 10 bcm of Azeri natural gas to Europe

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG has announced that a total of 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from Azerbaijan has now entered...

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power breaks ground on first and largest wind project in Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy and ACWA Power held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 14 for the 240 MW wind power plant with an...

Europe’s chance for peace in the South Caucasus

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, announced on November 19 that in the margin of the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held...

The Second Karabakh War, one year later

One year after the end of the Second Karabakh War, the landscape in the South Caucasus has changed: both politically and physically. Against all...

Covid infections in the Eurasia region hit a new high

Infections in the Eurasia region hit a new high last week, mainly driven by Ukraine and Russia, the two biggest countries, which are having...

New political patterns in the South Caucasus

Developments in the South Caucasus continue to race ahead of Europe’s understanding of them. By the time an event has been noticed, recognized, digested,...

The road to conflict resolution in Karabakh

Events are moving quite quickly in the South Caucasus, although they have not yet reached a breakthrough. Nevertheless, the first anniversary of the outbreak...

What are Turkey’s ambitions in Afghanistan after the US’ withdrawal?

After the United States finished its withdrawal from the two-decade war in Afghanistan on August 31, regional powers remain at work trying to understand...

Russia’s Covid rate drops as Central Asia faces new pandemic challenges

The worst of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic appears to be over, especially in Moscow, where new infections and hospitalizations are well below...

Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift

Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...

Is Armenia heading towards a collision with the West?

As Iran sinks deeper into crisis, the ayatollahs are desperately seeking to strengthen ally-ships wherever they can.Iran’s economic situation has gone from bad to...

COVID-19 restrictions expand in Eurasia as vaccination rate picks up

Russian employers in the food supply, grocery service and other sectors - all of which are obliged to have 60% of their employees vaccinated...

The COVID-19 situation across Eurasia is getting worse

The COVID infection rate in Moscow is still growing and is also starting to rise in St Petersburg as well as in the Moscow...

Armenia’s post-election challenges

In the wake of Armenia’s recent early parliamentary election, incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is set to form a new government.  Armed with a...

Assessing Armenia’s post-war election

Against a backdrop of profound political polarization and deep division, Armenian voters went to the polls on June 20 to elect a new parliament. ...

CIS Heads of Diplomatic Missions issue statement on 80th anniversary of ‘Great Patriotic War’ outbreak

The Brussels-based heads of Diplomatic Missions from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan issued a statement on June 22 to...

Turkey: A state sponsor of terrorism?

Turkey functions like a state-sponsor of terrorism (SST), fueling Islamist extremism domestically and deploying jihadist mercenaries to Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Listing Turkey as...

The significance of U.S. recognition of the Armenian genocide

Like every U.S. leader before him, President Joseph Biden issued a commemorative statement on April 24 to mark the annual commemoration of the Armenian...

Keep Calm and Carry On: Ukraine needs a good relationship with the Western media more than ever

'You can't do right for doing wrong', as the old saying goes. Then there's also 'no good deed goes unpunished'. I had the first-hand experience...

How real is the Russian threat to the Baltic States?

During the events that unfolded in Georgia in 2008 and later in Ukraine in 2014, Russia has demonstrated great resolve in attaining geopolitical leverage...

More of the West is needed in Georgia

Before I start describing Georgia as a regional reforms leader and a country, which is well-known for its success while on its way towards...

Is Turkey Biden’s “ally from hell”?

Ten years ago, The Atlantic ran as its cover story a piece titled “The Ally From Hell”. The article followed the raid that killed al-Qaeda...

Good cop, bad cop? How the US and Europe want to deal with Erdogan’s Turkey

These are not good times for Turkey’s relations with the West. European diplomats in Ankara refer to a downward spiral to describe the relationship....

Amnesty calls for probe into civilian casualties on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately investigate the use of "inaccurate and indiscriminate weapons" in civilian areas during...

The global political game in the South Caucasus is finally settled

The regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia, have now been finally liberated as a result of counterattacks by the Azeri Army against the Armenians...

Europe turns the tables on Russian gas

As we move into 2021, Southeast Europe’s concern about security and diversity of energy supply and over-reliance on Russia gas is now history, a...

Secretary Pompeo lets Turkey know what Washington really thinks

In an exchange that warmed the hearts of all Greeks and Greek Cypriots everywhere and was reported as front-page news, US Secretary of State...

The Bulgarian hammer comes down

Firmly refusing to approve the negotiating framework for the “Intergovernmental Conference” required to launch North Macedonia’s EU accession process, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva...

Elections in Nagorno-Karabakh don't dismiss democracy

Normally, a free and fair election is a welcome exercise of democracy and freedom.  But in the case of the unrecognised Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,...

Coronavirus to adversely affect the Caspian region oil market

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – Coronavirus pandemic and drop in oil prices adversely affected the oil industry in the Caspian region, a Russian expert on oil...

Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan arrest women's rights activists on International Women's Day

Police officers detained an activist during a rally held to support women's rights and to protest against violence towards women in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku. Activists...

Kazakh seaports temporarily suspend servicing ships from Azerbaijan and Iran

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – As of 5 March, Kazakhstan is temporarily suspending services at the ports of Aktau and Kuryk in the Caspian Sea for...

Azerbaijani police violently disperse post-election protest

Azerbaijani police have violently dispersed protests following contested parliamentary elections in the country. Last week, the country started a snap election in an effort to...

Azerbaijan ruling party wins snap parliamentary elections

According to exit polls, long-term president Ilham Aliyev and his ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) won a majority of seats in Azerbaijan’s snap parliamentary...

France rejects suggestions that Eastern Partnership could lead to EU membership

France has rejected suggestions that the Eastern Partnership could lead to EU membership for countries included in the program. The partnership consists of the EU...

Nursultan Nazarbayev airport code will be changed in April 2020

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan - The change of airport code Nursultan Nazarbayev will occur in April, Kazakhstan’s Industry and Infrastructure Development Ministry said on 23 January. “The...

Greece launches expanded LNG terminal to deliver gas to the Balkans

REVITHOUSSA, Greece - Greece inaugurated on November 22 the upgraded liquefied natural gas terminal (LNG) in Revithoussa, operated by gas grid operator DESFA, in...

Greece, Egypt and the EU support Cyprus’ right to explore for hydrocarbons

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Egyptian President met on the island of Crete on October 10, for talks aimed at...

At Rome ‘Club Med’ summit, Greece gets a line on TAP gas to Italy

As heads of state and government of Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain, or so-called “Club Med,’ convened in Rome on January...

Šefčovič, Pyatt say Greece can help boost EU energy security

PIRAEUS, Greece – Greece’s position as an energy hub that can help the European Union increase its energy security and diversification of supplies, reducing...

France’s Total leads hydrocarbon exploration offshore Greece

ATHENS – Greece has signed a lease agreement with the joint venture Total-Edison-Hellenic Petroleum for the Block 2 at the Ionian Sea, offshore Greece.At...

US company boosts East Med’s Israel-Cyprus-Greece-EU pipeline

ATHENS - Plans to build the East-Med pipeline, which could transport up to 16 billion cubic metres from the offshore gas reserves in the...

Walking the line, Greece backs dueling EU pipelines

ATHENS – Greece continues to view positively plans by DEPA, Edison and Gazprom to revive the IGI Poseidon pipeline to transport Russian gas across...

Putin brings his energy game to Athens

ATHENS - Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Greece on May 28 to boost Moscow’s energy relations with Athens and secure the...

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