Dare to Take Charge: The EU, Areas of Conflict in International Politics, and the Case for Assuming Greater Responsibility We cannot quarantine ourselves from the instability that reigns south and east of Europe. Europe must strike a new balance between idealistic foreign policy and realism. The opening address of the 17th Annual Foreign Policy Conference. By Ralf Fücks
Web-Dossier: Georgia's Euro-Atlantic Vector on the Eve of the NATO Summit 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.
The Impossibility of Georgia’s Neutrality The success of Georgia’s Euroatlantic integration would greatly contribute to the protection of the sovereign rights of small states and to the restoration of European security. By Mamuka Tsereteli
Why Joining NATO is Key to Georgia’s Survival No matter what outcomes Georgia will face in this eventful year, it should hold firmly to its chosen path toward Europe and the West. First and foremost, this means an increased commitment to move closer to NATO, the only military guarantee against expansionist Russia. By Giorgi Tskhadaia
Europe, Let’s Speak Out for LGBTI Rights in South Caucasus LGBTI individuals and LGBTI human rights defenders in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are facing huge challenges as LGBTI rights issues are currently shaped by EU, Russia, and South Caucasus geopolitical and economic interests. Could the European Neighbourhood Policy and other EU foreign policy initiatives contribute to the improvement of the LGBTI rights situation in the region? By Carlotta Weber
Web-Dossier: A Glance at the Islamic State from afar: Islam and Politics in the South Caucasus Nationals of many Western and non-Western countries are joining the IS cause and those that survive the fight will bring home with them extensive battle experience and new ideas about social and political life. The danger to peace and civic order, and the growing influence of this quasi-religious military movement casts shadow over the South Caucasus, which is not at all far from IS-held territory.
Armenia and the Islamic State: Between Non-Existent Past and Impossible Future IS-held territory is quite close to Armenia, around 400 kilometers as the crow flies. The threats emanating from the IS have a geopolitical and regional component which are bound to be a concern for Armenia. By Alexander Iskandaryan
Islamic State and Georgia's Muslim community The emergence of the Islamic State implies significant political and geographic transformation. Georgia as a territory is not in the spotlight of these changes unless appropriate conditions take shape, in particular, if they win a big number of supporters. By Ruslan Baramidze
Azerbaijan Waiting for the Islamic State: The Biggest Mosque, the New Hajj, More Arrests of Islamists... What's Next? A sad anniversary is upon us. The 29th of June marks exactly one year since the declaration of the global Caliphate - the Islamic State (previously the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). By Sergey Rumyantsev
The Memory of the Armenian Genocide as Taught in Armenian Schools: Textbooks, School Rituals and Iconography The theme of Armenian Genocide is currently taught in Armenian schools in eighth grade history classes. Though according to the recent field observations, the 100th anniversary commemoration reveals a considerable shift from what used to be, something, which deserves deeper analysis in the future. By Satenik Mkrtchyan