An interview with H.E. Mr. Vasily Istratov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan ...

The disintegration of the Soviet Union not only resulted in the rise of a group of new independent states but in their integration into newly defined geopolitical areas.  In recent years, the term Central Eurasia, which refers to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, has been attracting attention as a distinct geopolitical area. There are at least two ways to think about the Eurasian continent in geopolitical terms.  The first one focuses on its European and Asian geographic dimensions in its geopolitical vision of the c...

More than any other country in the world, Azerbaijan views its consulates and especially its consulates general as equal in importance to its embassies and permanent missions abroad, not only because of the key role the former play in promoting Azerbaijani identity inside the republic and beyond but also because of the greater freedom consulates often have in reaching out to non-governmental actors in key countries.  That makes the opening of the Baku’s consulate general in Aktau, Kazakhstan, last month an important event. Since regaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has o...

The military conflict between Russia and Georgia has opened the way for Turkey to increase its role in the South Caucasus, not only because of its own skilful policies but also because both Moscow and Washington want it to, albeit for different reasons.  And what is most remarkable is that this transformation of the roles of the various players in the South Caucasus has been most visible in the evolution of the relationship between Turkey and Armenia, two countries long at odds that many felt could never reach an accord. The failure of the OSCE Minsk Group to move toward a resolutio...