Azerbaijan – Armenia – Georgia: Challenges and Prospects of Interstate Cooperation

Abstract

In the conditions of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, the question of the future world order is more than urgent. The introduction of the sanctions regime against Russia led to the intensification of the latter’s efforts in the direction of creating its own ecosystem of survival, in which the states of the South Caucasus, in particular, the former Soviet republics such as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, are considered indispensable components. In their research, the authors analyze the features of the socio-political development of the named states of the South Caucasus in its relationship with the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war and changes.

The authors draw attention to the importance of the South Caucasus for ensuring the ability of the Russian Federation to continue the war against Ukraine at the current stage. In its desire to regain its status as a world leader, the Russian Federation is trying with all its might to preserve the existing status quo in the region, on the one hand, while simultaneously improving its relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, on the other. The latter was quite clearly revealed during the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and the events of September 19, 2023 in Nagorno-Karabakh. The return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan due to the termination of the existence of the NKR from January 1, 2024 opens up new prospects not only for regional development, but also for the resolution of other “frozen” conflicts created by Moscow.

Eliminating the factor of military confrontation from the regional order is an important element of geopolitical stability and security in the region. And Georgia in this case plays an important role, on the one hand, as a potential mediator, and on the other, as a state that has a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan and good-neighborly relations with Armenia.