Topchubashov Center

Contemporary Iranian-Afghan relations are characterized by a combination of strategic pragmatism, security competition, and economic interdependence. Despite persistent tensions over transboundary water resources, refugee flows, border clashes, terrorism, and cross-border criminal activities such as drug and arms trafficking, both states continue to maintain practical cooperation in trade, transit, infrastructure, and regional connectivity. The relationship is…

On the 25th of May 2026, Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced in a press conference that Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, will begin operations in Georgia with a digital version of the Georgian Lari; GEL₮. The new cryptocurrency will be pegged to the Georgian Lari with a value of 1:1. With this new…

A Calculated Impasse On April 22, 2026, Russian oil started flowing again through the Druzhba pipeline to Europe, with reparations works handled by Ukrainians after a rupture amidst the events of the war. Yet, after a series of reports, it was confirmed that Russia would halt the passage of Kazakh oil sent to Germany through…

Het Groningenveld (the Groningen gas field) is the biggest gas field in Europe and belongs to the top 10 biggest gas fields in the world with around 2.800 billion m³ of gas. Since the 19th of April 2024, the gas field has been closed and it has been forbidden to extract new gas in this…

Last week, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan in a rather unexpected manner paid a visit to Moscow, reportedly fixed at his own request. During his visit, Armenian leader was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan (Aysor.am, April 1). Arguably, the visit was dictated by the pre-election logic: Pashinyan, routinely accused…

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani has just concluded his three-day mission in China, where he met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi together with the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Beijing. The diplomatic meeting was part of the continuation of the 2024–2027 Italy–China Three-Year Action Plan, which was  signed by…

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…

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…

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…

Since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, Central Asia started to form a common agenda and shared positions on logistics, transportation, energy, security and foreign policy. The C5 format, which traditionally unites five Central Asian countries, is gradually transforming from being a consultation platform to discuss minor issues to an instrument…