By Vali Kaleji

September 10, 2020, the CACI Analyst

Close bilateral ties between Iran and Armenia have been overshadowed by sudden expansion of Yerevan-Tel Aviv links. Tehran views Israel as a "third factor" playing a negative role in Iranian relations with its neighbors including Armenia, and threatening security and stability throughout the South Caucasus. Armenian officals mantain that the decision made by Yerevan was known to Tehran at the outset, and the boosting of Yerevan-Tel Aviv ties is not directly against others, including Iran. 

By Jesse Young

September 8, 2020, the CACI Analyst

Central to Georgia’s post-independence “success story” was the rapid modernization of its electrical system. Once saddled with sclerotic and inefficient infrastructure and plagued by widespread power theft, Georgia now has a modern, reliable grid and scores of new power plants. However, perilous waters lie ahead. As a developing middle-income country committed to both EU and NATO membership, Georgia can offer powerful lessons for what to do (and what not to do) when employing hydropower to fuel economic development.

By Richard Weitz

September 3, 2020, the CACI Analyst

The revelations that Russian intelligence may have hired criminals to attack NATO forces in Afghanistan underscores the complex nature of Moscow’s Afghan policies. Though what happened or why remains disputed, the reports highlight the Russian government’s weak tools for shaping the future of Afghanistan despite the country’s pivotal place in Russia’s Eurasian agenda.

By Avinoam Idan

August 31, 2020, the CACI Analyst

The violent gunfire that erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan in July appears to have no connection with the ongoing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. This event took place far from Nagorno-Karabakh, in the Tovuz region. The strategic importance of the Tovuz region is its location on the energy export pipelines route from the Caspian Sea to Turkey and Western markets. It would seem that the players involved here are none other than Russia and Turkey, in active conflict vis-a-vis the war in Libya. The gunfire can be interpreted as a Russian message to Turkey, regarding its energy supply security from the Caspian Sea. If so, this is not the first time Russia has used Armenia to further its interests in the region.