Caucasus

Demonstrators hold banners in support of Georgia's European path. In 2022 Brussels granted membership status to Ukraine and Moldova but withheld Georgia's, stating that the government needed to fulfil a series of reforms by the end of 2023 for its application to advance. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Tbilisi’s Balancing Act Between Moscow and Brussels

Visits by the Russian elite and resumption of direct flights have angered many Georgians.

15 Jun 23

Since 1992, the Yerablur military cemetery, on a hilltop in the outskirts of Yerevan, has been the burial place of Armenian soldiers who died in the Nagorny Karabakh wars. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Is Armenia Giving up on Nagorny Karabakh?

Statements recognising Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity signal painful decisions may lie ahead.

8 Jun 23

Gita Hambardzumyan, 35, has lost her job at Artsakh Carpet, a rug manufacturer in Stepanakert. The mother of six spends long hours queuing for food as supplies of basic staples are low. © Siranush Sargsyan

Azerbaijan’s Blockade Paralyses Nagorny Karabakh

Economy is in freefall, with inflation soaring and unemployment on the rise.

6 Jun 23

Ukrainian flags dot streets in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Georgians overwhelmingly support Ukraine, but the government did not join its western allies in the sanctions against Moscow. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated that the country’s economy would suffer if Tbilisi sanctioned one of its main trading partners. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Georgians Struggle with High Prices Amid War in Ukraine

The influx of Russian exiles have pushed the cost of living up, while Tbilisi’s trade ties with Moscow have expanded.

1 Jun 23

Lena Mirzoyan with her pupils, who are holding the Yezidi flag. Numbering about 35,000 people, Yezidi are Armenia's largest ethnic minority. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia’s Yezidi Girls Choose School Over Early Marriage

Despite conservative social norms that mean girls can wed as young as 14, drop-out rates are declining.

1 Jun 23

(left) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan casts his vote in Turkey's general elections at a polling station in the Uskudar district on May 14, 2023 in Istanbul. (right) Republican People's Party (CHP) leader and presidential candidate of the main opposition alliance Kemal Kilicdaroglu arrives to cast his vote at a polling station during Turkey's General Election on May 14, 2023 in Ankara. © Umit Bektas-Pool/Getty Images and Burak Kara/Getty Images

Turkey Votes: Normalisation With Armenia Will Continue

The presidential contest looms large over the South Caucasus region and the outcome will have a profound impact in Yerevan and Baku.

19 May 23

A woman sings patriotic songs of the Soviet Union during a march near the Kremlin with pro-Communist demonstrators in downtown Moscow, Russia during May Day celebrations, May 2001. © Oleg Nikishin/Newsmakers

Back to the USSR? Memory Wars in the South Caucasus

Kremlin narratives have co-opted history and propagated a distorted memory of the Soviet past.

10 May 23

Demonstrators in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi taped their mouths on March 6 to protest against a draft law that would have required NGOs and media organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their annual funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents”. Labelled as an attack on free expression and legitimate civic activism, the law was dropped. © Gvantsa Seturidze

Georgia: "I have never felt as exposed to threats"

A worsening media environment and rising physical and professional threats have left many feeling unsafe.

3 May 23

Apartment blocks under construction in Yerevan, Armenia's capital. The construction sector employs a large number of Indians and Iranian workers who have been increasingly seeking job opportunities in the South Caucasus nation. © A. Avetisyan

Armenia: Indians and Iranians Fuel Labour Market

Numbers have increased in recent years, but migrants often face exploitation.

25 Apr 23

Paramedics and ambulance drivers took it to the streets in January 2023 to protest deteriorating working conditions and inadequate pay. It was the latest in a series of demonstration held since May 2022. © Medicine Union

Georgia: Medical Workers Struggle to Make Ends Meet

Health care employees call for higher wages and better working conditions amid rising cost of living.

23 Apr 23

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