web-dossier

In order to commemorate 100 years anniversary since the declaration of independence of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Heinrich Boell Foundation presents analytical articles that on the one hand, reflect on the main foreign and internal priorities of the first republics and on the other hand, analyze what is the impact of the short-lived experiences of statehood on the democratic political culture of the South Caucasus.

Georgia and Armenia have strived to establish good neighborhood policy throughout centuries. There has been neighborly competition over certain issues but during the last two decades, governments of these countries have taken steps to develop joint initiatives in cultural, economic and political spheres.The South Caucasus Regional Office of the Heinrich Boell Foundation supports the regional dialogue between these two countries.

Russia has its strategic interests in South Caucasus and tries to have a dominant position in the region. Its neighborhood policy comprised both hard and soft power tools that aim to increase influence over the countries of South Caucasus. 

Peace in the South Caucasus is highly valued. However, a long history of violent conflicts and deeply rooted territorial claims make this coveted peace hard to achieve. Conflict in Nagorny Karabakh does not promise a speedy resolution and does not appear to show any sign of transformation in political discussions taking place within the nations engaged in it.

Georgian aspirations towards NATO and the EU specifically, and Europe in general, are likely to play an important role in the upcoming Georgian elections, scheduled for the 8th of October. In anticipation of the July 8-9 NATO Summit in Warsaw, hbs explores the significance of NATO-Georgia relations & the question of sovereignty for small states in the context of security.

Politics in the South Caucasus region cannot be viewed in isolation from developments worldwide and especially in the context of economic contest and tensions among the “great powers” active in the broader European, Middle East and Eurasian region. Decrease in prices on fossil fuel resources, fight over the routes of delivery of energy resources to the Western markets and struggle for political domination over the nations of weak/fragile sovereignty are manifested in a number of conflicts and social-economic and political turmoil taking place in these nations.