Region: Caucasus

The rapid retreat of the Caspian Sea and the resulting advance of the shoreline have now become a serious threat to ports and marine facilities in all five littoral states—Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia

The main foreign policy slogan of Armenia’s new “five-year period” can be formulated as “peace without a strategic alliance with Russia”

Balancing and Diversifying Transit Routes through Armenia and Azerbaijan

On July 30, 2026, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM, Türkiye) held a joint roundtable titled “Russia and Türkiye: Approaches Towards Security and Transport Communication Unlock in the South Caucasus Region”

Dmitriy Trenin’s Interview with LIMES

On April 6, 2026, a joint roundtable of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Institute for International Studies (IMI) at MGIMO University was held on “The Evolution of Post-Soviet States in the Context of the Transformation of the World Order”

China’s main strategic objective regarding the South Caucasus is the establishment of a Eurasian land and sea transport corridor

It is not only in Iran's interest, but also in the interest of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Turkey, for Iran to reconnect to the Southern Caucasus railway network through both the Rasht-Astara and Julfa-Nakhichevan routes after three decades

Valdai Discussion Club Report

On October 13, 2025, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Orbeli Center under the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia jointly hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Tests of Partnership: Russian-Armenian Relations in 2025.”

If Tehran persists in its accusations and Baku clings to its alliances, the tension between the two will likely remain within the bounds of a "cold war" dynamic

Working Paper No. 92 / 2025