Richard Giragosian provides key insight on Armenia and its neighbors
On December 7th, 2021, TEPAV in cooperation with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosted Richard Giragosian for a discussion on “Developments in the Caucasus.” Giragosian, outside of numerous publications and holding public office in the United States, is the Founding Director of the Regional Studies Center (RSC) think tank based in Yerevan, Armenia. The RSC is a partner and has continued to work on Armenia-Turkey related issues with TEPAV since its founding. The event was attended by academics, private-public sector representatives, NGO and think tank members as well as representatives of foreign missions located in Ankara. Opening remarks, the introduction of the speaker and moderation of the discussion was made by TEPAV’s Multilateral Trade Studies Center Director Bozkurt Aran.
In light of the most recent developments in the Caucasus region, Richard Giragosian presented an outline of implications and opportunities for the region moving forward. With the de-escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, a new door has opened for regional efforts to normalize ties between neighboring countries. By granting a land corridor between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia along with allowing Azerbaijan-Turkey air traffic to cross Armenian skies, Yerevan hopes to take concrete steps in normalizing ties with its two Turkic neighbors. Giragosian further underlined that a part of the continued effort for long-term peaceful resolution and stability is pushing forward with an institutionalized mechanism to demarcate and delineate an official Armenia-Azerbaijan border. In these efforts of normalization, Armenia is seeking to establish diplomatic and commercial ties with Turkey.
Following the presentation of current geopolitical realities, the floor was opened for outstanding comments and questions.
