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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NORTHERN VECTOR THREATS AND AZERBAIJAN’S POST-WAR STRATEGIC RESILIENCE

The 44-day Patriotic War fundamentally recalibrated the power dynamics in the South Caucasus, redefining regional influence mechanisms. Particularly along the northern axis, the traditional architecture of geopolitical oversight has been significantly disrupted. Current threats are less about direct military confrontation and more about multi-layered, coordinated influence operations designed to shape political, economic, and informational environments….

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