BLOG AND LATEST ARTICLES
Armenia and Azerbaijan: Rare declaration rekindles hopes for peace
Armenia and Azerbaijan issued a late-night joint statement that surprised even the most seasoned of commentators. Though it remains unclear whether this could be a long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations, the international community was united in welcoming the move.
Ethnic Incompatibility or Coexistence? Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Georgia
Despite the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict that has waged for three decades, and despite the ethno-nationalist narrative of alleged ‘ethnic incompatibility,’ the two groups do actually co-inhabit and co-exist in many villages, towns, and cities in Georgia. Ever since first hearing about the ethnic Armenian-Azerbaijani co-inhabited villages from Michael Andersen, a Danish journalist, in 2008 I’ve made a point of visiting them ever since to at least offer one positive example of co-existence between the groups albeit in a third country.
Europalia 2023: Cultural Diplomacy Strengthens Ties Through Art and Music
Earlier this month Georgia was the theme of the Europalia biennial in Belgium. With a rich history of art, culture, dance, and music of its own, it was therefore encouraging to see that one of the performers from the country was the ethnic Azerbaijani Ashiq Nargile. This was a welcome inclusion of a representative of Georgia’s largest ethnic minority in the programme.
Armenians and Azerbaijanis Dance Under One Sky in Georgian Village
Nestled in the hills and forests of Georgia just a kilometre from the country’s border with Armenia, the residents of Khojorni, a small village numbering just 635, held on 18 November the first of what it hopes will be an annual multicultural festival, Under One Sky. Though such events are not uncommon throughout the country, what made this one special was that the population comprises one made up of ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis.
20 Years After the 2003 Armenia Presidential Elections
Opposition protest demonstration, Matendaran, Yerevan, Armenia © Onnik James Krikorian 2003 This month marks the 20th anniversary of the Rose Revolution in Georgia that brought Mikheil Saakashvili to power. Though Misha's rule was to deteriorate rapidly by the time of demonstrations held in Tbilisi in 2007, there's no doubt that the change of power four years earlier turned Georgia around. This was especially relevant given that earlier in the year, post-presidential election protests in...
A worrying sense of deja-vu prevails in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations
This month marked the third anniversary of the ceasefire statement that was meant to end the second Karabakh war. In retrospect, it might be more appropriately considered a continuation of the first conflict of the early 1990s given that the ceasefire then was hardly implemented too, leading to a new war 26 years later. Meanwhile, hopes that Baku and Yerevan could sign a peace agreement are fading.
Georgia: The Final Hurdle To EU Candidate Status
Last week’s decision by the European Commission to recommend Georgia receive European Union candidate status caught many by surprise. A survey conducted by the Tbilisi-based Caucasus Research Resource Centre (CRRC) in the previous days showed that, despite widespread support for EU membership, only 33% of respondents believed it would obtain it. Unlike Ukraine and Moldova, which became candidates in June last year, Georgia had instead been required to address 12 priorities first.
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian Prime Ministers address Tbilisi Silk Road Forum
In recent days, Georgia once again hosted the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, an event with an economic focus. What is new this year is that for the first time an Armenian leader spoke at such a high-level event in Tbilisi, and high-level officials from all three South Caucasus countries were also on the same stage.
Brussels Meeting Cancelled as Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian PMs Share the Stage in Tbilisi
Despite hopes that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev would meet in Brussels towards the end of the month, the European Union’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, yesterday said that it will now not take place. Giving the reason as “time constraints,” he made the announcement while participating remotely in a conference held in Yerevan.