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Moldova at a strategic crossroads: how the revival of the union debate reveals Moldova’s geopolitical uncertainty

In early 2026, Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s remark unexpectedly rekindled a highly sensitive and historically charged issue: the potential unification with Romania. During a public interview, she said she would personally support such a move if it were decided in a national referendum. While presented as a personal view rather than an official policy, the…

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PIVOT TO THE EAST: What Armenia and Azerbaijan Can Learn from Central Asian Cooperation?

Policy analysis of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict has relied, often unreflectively, on a narrow set of Western-brokered settlements as its comparative reference points. Yet these cases carry with them assumptions that bear little resemblance to the post-Soviet realities of the region. The result has been a policy conversation that is well-furnished with precedent but poorly matched…

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Southern Branch of Middle Corridor Gains Eurasian Connectivity Momentum

Executive Summary: Railway officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met in Ashgabat on February 10 to strengthen operational coordination in developing the Middle Corridor, signing a protocol that prioritizes digital transformation, data exchange, and bottleneck diagnostics. Uzbekistan’s deepening integration, combined with the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, will cut Asia-Europe transit distances significantly, materially…

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Azerbaijan’s strategic balancing act amid regional turbulence

The South Caucasus is once again confronting a rapidly deteriorating security environment as major geopolitical rivalries unfold on its borders. To the north, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, while to the south, the confrontation between Iran and the United States/Israel has escalated through missile strikes, drone warfare, and retaliatory operations. Wedged geographically between…

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Iran’s Drone Attacks Strain Tensions between Baku and Tehran

Executive Summary: Iranian drones launched from Iranian territory struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on March 5, damaging civilian infrastructure near the international airport and a school. Baku condemned the attack as terrorism and demanded explanations, an apology, and accountability from Tehran. Azerbaijan rejected Iran’s denial of responsibility, citing technical monitoring confirming the drones’ Iranian origin….

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Opinion: The South Caucasus caught between two wars

The South Caucasus managed the geopolitical rivalries surrounding it remarkably well in 2025. Despite intensifying global competition and conflicts raging beyond its borders, the region avoided major military escalation and even made notable progress toward stability. For the first time in more than three decades, there were no deadly interstate clashes among the three South…

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Rusif Huseynov contributed chapter to a newly published book — Turkey in Eurasia: Endeavors and Encounters

Rusif Huseynov contributed chapter to a newly published book — Turkey in Eurasia: Endeavors and Encounters. He is co-author of Chapter 11: “Political Economy of Turkey’s Policies in Eurasia,” alongside Anar Valiyev and Shujaat Ahmadzada. This book provides an analysis of Turkish foreign policy towards Eurasia in the post-Soviet era. Focussing on the sub-regions of the…

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