Contents

Gayane Novikova

Opening Address

9

Arthur Bagdasaryan

Welcoming Remarks

12

Katherine Jane Leach

Welcoming Remarks

17

William Lahue

The Importance of the South Caucasus Region for NATO

20

Wayne Merry

The US Perspective on the Central Caucasus Region (Notes)

23

Tracey German

Security in the South Caucasus: What Role for NATO and the EU?

24

Jos Boonstra

Consistence, Flexibility, and Engagement are Crucial for the EU’ Eastern Partnership

33

Gayane Novikova

Models of Sovereignty as a Key for the Understanding of Security Patterns in the South Caucasus

40

Giorgi Gogsadze

Georgia: Some Features of its Internal and International Political Developments

48

Arif Yunusov

Azerbaijan at the Beginning of 2014: Internal Instability against the Background of External Developments and Challenges

57

Sergey Markedonov

Russia in the Big Caucasus: Main Priorities

67

George
Tarkhan-Mouravi

External and Internal Factors in Relation to Security in the South Caucasus and Russia’s Caucasus Policies

78

Mitat Çelikpala

Converging and Conflicting Interests in the South Caucasus: Turkey’s Approach

89

Mohammad Hassan Khani

The Implications of NATO’s Presence in the South Caucasus: An Iranian Perspective

99

Christopher Langton

Militarization in the South               Caucasus and the Neighborhood: Causes and Effects

105

Alexander Skakov

Prospects for  Developments around the South Caucasus Conflicts: A View from Moscow

114

Sergey Sargsyan

The Logic of Armenia’s Military, Political, and Economic Choices

123

Vali Kouzeghar Kaleji

How to Minimize the Conflict Potential of the South Caucasus:

A View from Iran

135

About the Authors

144