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Executive Summary: The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and South Korean engineering firm Samsung E&A signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 25 to improve the efficiency of energy assets, localize production, develop a regional industrial hub, foster human capital development, and advance decarbonization cooperation. South Korea–Azerbaijan meetings in November 2021 and…
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…
The South Caucasus region has been one of the important issues on the international security agenda over the past decades. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which lasted for many years and ended with Azerbaijan liberating its territories from occupation in 2020, has created new realities in the region. In the post-war period, a peace…
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…
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….
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…
We can reasonably assume now that the drone attack on the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan was not a so-called flag operation by Israel or the US. It was a deliberate action by Iran. The question remains whether the decision was made in Tehran or at a lower command, but judging from the unofficial accounts associated…
Executive Summary: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s February 9–11 visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan marked Washington’s most consequential engagement in the South Caucasus since the August 2025 peace summit. In Yerevan, Vance advanced a landmark U.S.–Armenia nuclear cooperation deal, backed AI technology and defense sales, and promoted TRIPP connectivity. In Baku, he signed a Strategic…
Situated at the crossroads of civilizations, cultures, and major transportation corridors stretching from east to west and north to south, and endowed with significant natural resources, the South Caucasus has historically occupied a central position in the geopolitical calculations of both regional and global powers. It is therefore no coincidence that American scholar Saul Bernard…
The relationship between Türkiye and the European Union is facing a critical juncture. For many years, the sides benefitted from unique economic arrangements which brought them closer, most notably through the Customs Union established between them in 1995. However, despite generating numerous advantages, the relationship is widely acknowledged not to have maximized its full potential, writes Huseyn…
