Throughout 2022, Baku pursued a more activist foreign policy due to developments in the South Caucasus and the surrounding regions. First of all, the Russo-Ukrainian war has been the single major event to influence Azerbaijani foreign policy in the past year. While the Russo-Ukrainian war... MORE

On November 17, 2022, during a meeting with a European Union delegation led by Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership Dirk Schuebel in Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham declared, “We are ready to talk … with Armenians who live in Karabakh, not with those who have... MORE

The news of Iran’s planned purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 advanced fighter jets is the latest sign of deepening relations between Tehran and Moscow. This development is significant, as in recent years, similar contracts were canceled for the sale of Russian Su-35s to Algeria, Egypt... MORE

On January 23, the European Union announced it would be sending a civilian mission to Armenia for a two-year term to document tensions on the border with Azerbaijan (Consilium.Europa.eu, January 23; see EDM, February 8). The EU’s recent decision follows earlier attempts by Brussels to establish... MORE

As the standoff in the Lachin Corridor—the primary land route into and out of the Armenian-controlled areas of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region—enters its third month, the humanitarian situation there is rapidly deteriorating, prompting ever-more ethnic Armenians in the region to consider leaving while simultaneously attracting more... MORE

On January 23, the Council of the European Union agreed to establish a civilian monitoring mission in Armenia’s border areas to “ensure an environment conducive to normalization efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan” (Consilium.europa.eu, January 23). This is the second mission that the EU has dispatched... MORE

During a press conference on January 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the Georgian government for its decision not to join the Western sanctions regime against Russia. However, Tbilisi considered this an embarrassment, as it rejects any formal cooperation with Russia. On this, Lavrov... MORE

After an armed gunman broke into the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran on January 27, killing a security officer and wounding two others, Baku suspended diplomatic activity at the embassy and pulled its staff out of Iran. However, five Azerbaijanis were left to guard the embassy... MORE

Western analysts have recently devoted much attention to the religious dimension of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the true measure of influence that Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church wields over President Vladimir Putin (see EDM, January 25). Moscow’s proposed unilateral ceasefire on January 6,... MORE

The Caucasus is a culture of polar opposites, jarring contrasts and occasionally unexpected juxtapositions. Russian author Viktor Pelevin was on to something when he wrote his noir novel Generation ‘P,’ a cult hit that portrayed an opiate-addicted Chechen racketeer who “usually lay on a mattress in... MORE