The US national security strategy of the Biden-Harris administration identifies Russia as a dangerous country that must be contained at all costs. Russia's presence in the South Caucasus is extensive.

After rising confrontation and a war of words in recent years, Azerbaijan and Iran have returned to the diplomatic track—emphasizing regional connectivity and infrastructure projects based on pragmatism.

In an insightful article featured on Modern Diplomacy, Ayoob Kara, who has previously served as Israel’s Minister of Communications, sheds light on Azerbaijan's unique position to act as a mediator in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

In the South Caucasus, there is never only one story unfolding at the same time; more often than not there are several, that may overlap here and there, but that have their own distinct dynamics.

The trilateral meeting on 5 April hardly promises any good to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process either. In his phone call with Secretary Blinken, President Aliyev specifically mentioned “lack of inclusivity” as part of his criticism of the meeting.

The conceited and the envious, especially if they have power, tend to antagonize those who cannot be deceived, who do not allow themselves to be manipulated. This pernicious tradition does not only manifest itself in everyday life.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's phone call to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev revealed many political facts that would be unimaginable only yesterday. Blinken's call is yet another evidence of the increased political weight and authority of President Ilham Aliyev. It is also indicative of the surgical precision of his diplomacy and highest professionalism.

The call from Secretary of State Blinken to the President of Azerbaijan on the eve of the "Brussels Conspiracy" involving the Secretary of State of the USA, the High Commissioner of the EU, and the Prime Minister of Armenia demonstrates the West's belated realization that ignoring Azerbaijan's position on regional processes is counterproductive.

According to reliable sources, Nikol Pashinyan's April 5 meeting with Ursula von der Leyen and Antony Blinken in Brussels is expected to approve a plan of political, economic, military, and humanitarian assistance to Yerevan to initiate Armenia's integration into the Euro-Atlantic space. Among other things, it is expected to agree on security cooperation unprecedented for the CIS countries.

Occupied by Armenian forces during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s, the four villages under discussion were situated within Azerbaijan's Gazakh District, and adjacent to Armenia's Tavush region when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

As Armenia finds itself at a crossroads, navigating the delicate balance between regional alliances and domestic stability becomes increasingly precarious, with the specter of external interference looming large.