Richard Giragosian

Also by Richard Giragosian

• March 19, 2014

  Commentary: The Putin Paradigm -- What Next For Nagorno-Karabakh?

  A more assertive Russian posture directed toward its neighbors may result in a sudden shift in Moscow’s policy toward Nagorno-Karabakh.

• October 11, 2010

  Armenian-Turkish Relations Depend On People, Not Protocols

  Richard Giragosian says that the best hope for real normalization is on the lowest level, people-to-people exchanges instead of state-to-state negotiations.

• September 03, 2010

  Is Armenia Russia's Partner Or Pawn?

  Richard Giragosian argues that a new agreement may deal a further blow to Armenian sovereignty by deploying additional Russian border guards to Armenia's other borders, with Iran and Georgia, if not Azerbaijan.

• July 03, 2008

  Armenia's Long, Hot Political Summer

  Since President Sarkisian's inauguration three months ago, the confrontation between the new leadership and the main opposition has shown little sign of abating.

• June 26, 2008

  Georgia Reverses Decision To Cut Defense Spending

  The Georgian Finance Ministry has submitted a request to increase defense spending for 2008 by $202.8 million, or approximately 29 percent.

• June 06, 2008

  Are Armenian-Turkish Relations Headed For Breakthrough -- Or Breakdown?

  Since his inauguration less than two months ago, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has been hobbled by internal challenges, but his presidency may see a breakthrough in Armenia's troubled relations with Turkey.

• April 05, 2007

  Prime Minister's Appointment Could Trigger Upheaval

  Over the last 10 days, Armenia's domestic landscape has shifted dramatically, upsetting the political scene in the run-up to May 12 elections.

• March 14, 2007

  Armenia Under Pressure

  Parliamentary elections in May are being seen as a test of Yerevan's commitment to participatory democracy and political reform.

• February 01, 2007

  Azerbaijan: Baku Signals New Determination For Defense Reform

  Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev (Trend) February 1, 2007 -- Since the May 1994 cease-fire that effectively froze hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan has paid scant attention to reforming its armed forces.

• January 22, 2007

  Journalist's Killing Dampens Optimism Of Breakthrough

  The killing of an ethnic Armenian journalist in Istanbul came just as a new sense of optimism seemed to have entered Turkish-Armenian relations.

• January 18, 2007

  Prospects Of Normalization With Turkey Slim

  A Turkish activist campaigning for improved relations between Ankara and Yerevan sees little hope until the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is settled.

• July 31, 2006

  Kodori And NATO | West has been training Georgian troops.

  WASHINGTON, July 31, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- After weathering a prolonged period of confrontation with Russia, Georgia launched an assertive, but prudently limited, three-day military campaign on July 25 with the twin aims of restoring both central authority over at least part of the Kodori Gorge and a degree of hope and pride in Georgia.

• February 10, 2006

  Analysis: U.S. Military Rethinks Azerbaijan's Importance

  As the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia prepared for a summit on 10-11 February that could yield a significant breakthrough in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, the challenge of securing any peace agreement will undoubtedly depend partly on the military situation on the ground. And with the necessary considerations of withdrawal, demilitarization, and peacekeeping, the American military presence in the region may hold a key to hopes for durable and lasting security.

• February 02, 2006

  Gas Cutoff Highlights National Security Flaws

  After deliveries of natural gas from Russia were disrupted by explosions that shut down the main pipeline, Georgia struggled for two weeks to endure a severe energy crisis amid record cold temperatures and heavy snowfalls.

• September 22, 2005

  Azerbaijan: Has Government Taken A Troubling Example From Andijon?

  Azerbaijani oppositionists demonstrating in Baku on 9 August (RFE/RL) As campaigning for the 6 November parliamentary elections gets under way, the Azerbaijani authorities are directing their efforts toward ensuring that the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party, together with ostensibly independent but loyal candidates, retains control of the new parliament. While such efforts are not unexpected in light of previous tainted elections, the Azerbaijani government's blatant disregard for the international community's insistence on electoral fairness and transparency is surprising.

• August 08, 2005

  Azerbaijan: Relations With U.S. Enter A New Phase

  (RFE/RL) The working visit to Washington last week by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov came at a very significant time for both countries and could represent something of a turning point in bilateral relations. Following a sweeping reevaluation of U.S. policy, those relations have been subject to a dynamic, yet subtle shift in recent months, driven by a set of external developments ranging from the impact of the so-called colored revolutions in several former Soviet states to a new emphasis on democratization --> http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/6/171A9F3F-F762-4E1D-A09F-0FC82AFE3A16.html as the strategic priority of the second Bush Administration.

• February 23, 2005

  Analysis: Bush-Putin Summit And Its Implications For The Caucasus

  (file photo) As the summit meeting of the U.S. and Russian presidents approaches, much of the focus has centered on the rise of a newly authoritarian Russia. Although several of Russian President Putin's recent measures have led to calls for a more confrontational U.S. challenge, the scope and scale of this new Russian authoritarianism have been largely domestic and internal in nature. The real challenge of this summit lies well beyond the borders of the Russian Federation, however.