Past Event

While the world is combatting a pandemic, South Caucasus is indulging in yet another escalation between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the territorial claim of Nagorno-Karabakh. The controversial territory is a small enclave of the Armenian population, located within Azerbaijan and controlled by the Armenian forces. This gave rise to the ethnic tensions since the late 1980s followed by a truce in 1994. Recently, the conflict has escalated again giving rise to geopolitical upheaval in the region.

The dynamics of the region gets further complicated as the EU and Russia are not the only actors influencing the politics of the region. The involvement of Turkey and Iran in the conflict seems to have complex geopolitical implications. This is particularly because on the one hand, Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan by alleged transfer of fighters from Syria and Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh is adding to its already strained relations with Europe, NATO as well as Russia while on the other hand, Iran’s vulnerable relation with both Turkey and Russia who are supporting opposite sides in the conflict have created difficulties for Tehran. Therefore, looking at this picture, it is imperative to explore if the rift between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as the geopolitical dynamics of the conflict has any impact on the EU-Russia political relations.