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What role for the European Union in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations?
The November 2020 Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan left many questions unanswered, not only in terms of its implementation but also in terms of whether the West has any role in any processes that might emerge. Not only were the US and European Union taken by surprise by last year’s war, but they have also largely remained marginalised or absent from developments since.
New Year Punk and Metal Gig in Tbilisi
Although I’ve been to two specially organised live-streamed metal events co-organised with the Tbilisi Municipality during the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t really been to any proper gigs. The last event closest was a do-it-yourself punk festival held at the Hippodrome in June that was attacked by a small group of neo-Nazi Georgian teens.
Sochi: The Summit of Uncertainty
A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia was held in Sochi on 26 November. Few details emerged from the meeting. For some it was a non-event, for others a step forward in diplomacy.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: The Waltz of (Missed) Meetings
A trilateral meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia should take place tomorrow, November 26, in the Russian tourist resort of Sochi. At the center of the diplomatic initiative the possible agreements between the two warring countries. However, the information is still scarce.
One Year After the 2020 Karabakh War
Though the future remains unpredictable, last year’s war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh changed the geographical and geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus after three decades of bitterness, conflict, and division.
Archive: Yerevan’s Boarding School for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Socially Vulnerable
I’ve covered too many subject matters and issues in over two decades of being based in the South Caucasus to upload everything to my new website so a few photographs taken at Yerevan’s Boarding School for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Socially Vulnerable taken in 2002 as a quick blog post. It was part of a much larger multi-year personal project to raise awareness of poverty and social vulnerability in Armenia.
Remembering Georgi Vanyan
Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso has just published my short piece remembering Armenian human rights and peace activist Georgi Vanyan who sadly passed away recently after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
An immeasurable and catastrophic loss for the region – Georgi Vanyan RIP
It is with great sadness that I write this post. Georgi Vanyan, human rights and peace activist, has died. Upon hearing that he had been moved on to a ventilator after being diagnosed and hospitalised in Tbilisi with COVID-19 I think we knew that this was how it was going to end, but that doesn’t make the loss any less painful. Following last year’s war, Georgi was needed now more than ever.
Revisiting the Tekali Process: Georgi Vanyan in Tbilisi
It was a pleasant surprise to receive a phone call from perhaps Armenia’s main peace builder, theatrical director turned activist Georgi Vanyan. All going well we’ll meet up again in a few days. I had first interviewed him in 2009 and isn’t just one of the main advocates for peace and regional integration, but one of the few genuine ones. His approach has always been refreshing.