In the framework of this seminar, we will start with a block topic on the European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership in the context of the South Caucasus region. Attention will be paid to Georgia as a candidate state (but with problematic internal developments), Armenia as a country which, although a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, has in the past also sought an association agreement with the EU and currently has an enhanced cooperation and partnership agreement with the EU. At the same time, there have been important internal political developments in the country in recent years, and also under the influence of the current security situation in the region. Attention will also be paid to Azerbaijan as a very specific actor in the region (and in the context of the Eastern Partnership as a whole), also in the context of the events of recent years concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The region is interesting in that the countries have quite different quality of their relations with the EU, while Georgia has applied for EU membership (although the accession negotiations have been suspended recently), Armenia has the specific relationship described above and Azerbaijan plays a significant role in EU policy on energy and energy security. One factor that has become increasingly important recently (including in the context of the war in Ukraine) is the issue of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, not only the Nagorno-Karabakh issue but also the issue of the separatist areas in Georgia and the limits and possibilities of EU action in these areas as a crisis manager.

The countries of the South Caucasus are often presented in a regional perspective. On the other hand, the quality of relations between the individual countries and the EU varies considerably, which raises the question of whether the EU should try to devise a general strategy towards the South Caucasus, or whether it should rather develop differentiated attitudes towards individual countries. The EU's role as an actor in relation to the South Caucasus region is further complicated and challenged by the active participation of other actors, notably Russia, but also Turkey, China (partly) and regional actors (e.g. Iran). The South Caucasus as a region at the 'crossroads' among different geopolitical interests will also be an important aspect to be discussed at the seminar.

The second part of our meeting will also include the discussion with the expert: Dr. Zinaida Bechná.

Paper 4: The EU as an actor in relation to the countries of the South Caucasus and as an actor in conflict resolution and crisis management in the South Caucasus

In the paper you can either address the question of the EU as an actor in the region in general, or focus on just 1 country or on a particular phenomenon (e.g. conflict potential in the perspective of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and the context of the current war in Ukraine). In the policy paper, you can address the following topics (of your choice):

Georgia - problems and limits of the EU as an actor of democracy promotion in the country; Georgia and the EU - the future? (viewed through the perspective of current events in Georgia and the actions of the Georgian government, which is often criticized by the EU; Georgia and its position on the current conflict in Ukraine; the EU as an actor in crisis management in Georgia, etc.)

Armenia and the dilemmas of its relations with the EU (Armenia and its close relations with Russia, seen through the lens of the current conflict in Ukraine; efforts to diversify Armenian foreign and security policy, etc.).

Azerbaijan as one of the specific actors of the Eastern Partnership policy: Azerbaijan as an important actor in energy security; Azerbaijan and Turkey's role in the region (seen through the perspective of the current conflict in Ukraine) etc.

The texts available in the literature (see below) as well as other texts from relevant sources (academic articles in Google Scholar, Sage, Ebsco, Jstor, etc.) will serve as background.

DEADLINE: 31st March 2025, 1 p.m.

Readings (indicative):

Bekiarova, Natalia (2019): "South Caucasus as a Region of Strategic Importance". In: International E-Journal of Advances in Social Sciences, Vol. V, Issue 14, August 2019, pp. 1016-1025.

Bidzina Lebanidze (2020): Resilience and democracy: Can a pragmatic EU still promote democracy in Georgia? Policy Brief. GIP. February 2020 / Issue #21.

Régis Genté (2022): Broken Dream: The oligarch, Russia and Georgia´s drift from Europe. ecfr.eu. Policy Brief. 21 December 2022. On-line: https://ecfr.eu/publication/broken-dream-the-oligarch-russia-and-georgias-drift-from-europe/

Kiril Krivosheev (2023): Could the New EU Mission Sideline Russia in Armenia-Azerbaijan Settlement? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 16.02.2023. On-line: https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/89060

Pawel Stawarz (2020) "ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN IN THE ENP - MISSED OPPORTUNITIES?". Online Journal Modelling the New Europe 32:111-128. 

Recommended:

Samkharadze, N. (2020): Ethnic Minorities in the context of Georgia´s European Integration: Is there a Room for Scepticism? Georgian Institute of Politics. Policy brief. July 2020. On-line: http://gip.ge/ethnic-minorities-in-the-context-of-georgias-european-integration-is-there-a-room-for-skepticism/

Salome Minesashvili, "EU and Ethnic Minorities in Georgia: How to Counter Misinformation and Disruptive Communication", Policy Brief #29, Georgian Institute of Politics, July 2020.  

Givi Silagadze (2020)  Is Georgian Populism Eurosceptic? GIP Policy Memo. May 2020 / Issue # 36. 

Video: Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh in 2020: https://youtu.be/YU2v38hRRbg

PRESENTATIONS: