Key Takeaways: Azerbaijan dominates regional transit infrastructure: With fully operational East-West (Middle Corridor) and North-South routes, expanded BTK railway (now 5 million tons capacity), and Port of Alat upgrades (to 25 million tons), Azerbaijan handles millions of tons of freight annually and continues expanding an existing network. Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative faces severe constraints: Mountainous terrain,…

Executive Summary: Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on June 22, where they signed 13 agreements expanding cooperation in energy, transport, customs, industry, and diplomacy, institutionalizing a broader strategic partnership amid shifting Eurasian dynamics. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan prioritized trans-Caspian transport integration by advancing customs modernization, port cooperation, and east–west…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia this month has reignited conversations about the nature of the EU’s role in the South Caucasus. At face value, the European Union continues to devote increasing attention to the region. In the past few months, politicians in Brussels appear to have acknowledged the…

Key Takeaways The definition of a middle power has shifted from material size and military strength to behavioral traits like niche diplomacy, norm entrepreneurship, and proactive international engagement. Azerbaijan increasingly qualifies as a modern middle power through energy diplomacy, regional connectivity projects, hosting global events (COP29), and acting as a bridge-builder. This reflects a broader…

The South Caucasus is currently undergoing one of the most significant and forward-looking periods in its modern history. The complete restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty has brought an end to a long-standing conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of people and has created a new geopolitical reality in the region. Today, both…

Türkiye and Azerbaijan commemorated the fifth anniversary of the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations on June 15, 2026. Shortly following the conclusion of the Second Karabakh War, the document was signed in the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, officially elevating bilateral relations from strategic partnership to alliance (President.az, June 15, 2021) Five years later, the significance…

In the contemporary system of international relations, the influence of states is determined not only by their territorial size or population, but also by their diplomatic activism, economic potential, military capabilities, and capacity to shape international processes. From this perspective, the Republic of Azerbaijan, with its growing influence at both regional and global levels in…

Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections produced a result whose significance extends well beyond the country’s borders. With Civil Contract, led by current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, securing 49.81 per cent of the vote, the Strong Armenia Alliance of Samvel Karapetyan at 23.29 per cent, and Robert Kocharyan’s Armenia Alliance at 9.94 per cent, Pashinyan retains…