As Armenia heads towards its parliamentary elections on 7 June, attention is turning to the South Caucasus peace process and its future direction. Analysts say the vote could influence the region’s shift from post-conflict agreements towards longer-term cooperation and integration.
While a range of bilateral and multilateral frameworks has developed in recent years, the durability of peace is still seen as dependent on whether cooperation extends beyond diplomatic declarations into sustained economic and societal links.
Speaking to AnewZ, political scientist Farhad Huseynov described the current stage as both “a challenge and opportunity” for Azerbaijan, as efforts continue to shape what he termed a lasting peace that goes beyond the mere absence of conflict.
He distinguished between “negative peace” - defined as the absence of active conflict - and “positive peace”, which he said requires deeper structural transformation.
According to Huseynov, economic interdependence is already contributing to this process. Expanding transit routes, trade flows and infrastructure projects, he argued, are creating a “living reality” of regional connectivity that supports the development of positive peace.
However, the analyst stressed that economic factors alone are not sufficient, noting that long-term sustainability also depends on rebuilding social and institutional ties.
“Social ties were severed and now we’re trying to rebuild them,” he said, underlining the need to restore everyday human and institutional connections.
Placing the South Caucasus in a broader historical context, Huseynov pointed to the European Union as an example of post-war integration, noting that it was created “to help Europeans live together after the devastating Second World War.”
Similar logic, he suggested, could be relevant for regional cooperation in the South Caucasus, provided political will exists among local actors.
At the institutional level, the analyst argued that existing bilateral mechanisms and negotiation formats are largely sufficient, as long as they remain focused on their core purpose of facilitating cooperation.
Looking ahead, Huseynov outlined a broader vision of an “integrated South Caucasus,” potentially evolving into a more interconnected regional model over time.
Azerbaijan is seeking to attract more European visitors by improving air connectivity and raising its profile as an international tourism des...
Russia says no plague cases have been detected among contacts of a laboratory worker who died in Siberia, with most tests negative for infectious d...
Space-agency chiefs and industry leaders met to discuss lunar exploration, satellite networks and orbital security on Tuesday as a major global spa...
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Russia says no plague cases have been detected among contacts of a laboratory worker who died in Siberia, with most tests negative for infectious diseases and many quarantined people already released.
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project could become a cornerstone of economic transformation in Armenia and the wider region, while boosting investment and regional connectivty.
Central Asian countries are strengthening sanitary and quarantine controls amid the situation in Russia’s Irkutsk region. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have introduced preventive measures following the death of an employee of a plague research institute in the city of Shelekhov.
Kazakhstan’s former navy chief, Kanat Niyazbekov, has been arrested after 14 servicemen died during military exercises in the Caspian Sea in September, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing law enforcement authorities.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye on Monday agreed at an emergency meeting in Riyadh to put their Mecca Joint Defence Agreement into practical effect, deciding to deploy agreed military forces and capabilities rapidly to the kingdom as Houthi attacks and a Saudi-backed offensive in Yemen continue.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment