October 03, 2011 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
The presentation is focused upon the transformation of the Caucasus region from one of periphery to one of the focal points of Eurasian, European, and Transatlantic security. The speaker examines roles played by the United States, Turkey, Iran, and the European Union (as well as by international organizations such as OSCE, NATO, and the UN) in the Caucasus since the dissolution of the USSR. The speaker will pay particular attention to Russia and its desire for playing an exclusive role in Caucasus geopolitics. The presentation stresses the new status quo that has emerged from the August War of 2008 (including a new political agenda for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, new Western strategies on engagement/non-recognition, the impact of the August War on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, and the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement).