VOL. 1 (1) - WINTER 2006
Coddling the Caucasus: Iran’s Strategic Relationship
with Azerbaijan and Armenia
(pp. 1-13)
by Geoffrey Gresh
Legal Aspects of the Nagorno-Garabagh Conflict
(pp. 14-30)
by Mushfig Mammadov
The Galtung Triangle and Nagorno-Garabagh Conflict
(pp. 31-41)
by Taleh
Ziyadov
Is Azerbaijan going to continue to get massive Inward
Foreign Direct Investments?
(pp. 42-48)
by Emil
Majidov
Thieves of the Law and the Rule of Law in Georgia
(pp. 49-64)
by Virginia
Davis Nordin & Georgi Glonti
The Universities of Europe in the New Era
(pp. 65-70)
by Dimitris
Michalopoulos
Ermənistan-Azərbaycan münaqişəsinin hüquqi aspektləri
(pp. 71-88)
Müşfiq
Məmmədov
Vaşinqtonla Moskva arasında vurnuxan Özbəkistan
(pp. 89-100)
Martin
Malek
Coddling
the Caucasus: Iran’s Strategic Relationship with Azerbaijan and
Armenia
(pp. 1-13)
by Geoffrey
Gresh
Fearful
of losing its economic regional and global dominance, Iran has sought to
align itself diplomatically and economically with Armenia and Russia to
counter Azerbaijan’s new pro-western policies and rising economic power.
This paper analyzes the international relations of the Southern Caucasus
through a Neorealist paradigm to demonstrate how Iran’s behavior and
action in the area were a direct result of the anarchical system that
ensued after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. The lack of a
bipolar system in the Caucasus has pushed the region to the brink of
another regional conflict that could potentially be more far-reaching
and widespread than that of the previously contained Nagorno-Garabagh
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Iran’s foreign policy of the
past decade demonstrates Iran’s pragmatism in the Southern Caucasus
that is not dictated by religious ideology, but rather by Iran’s
national interests, both economic and political, and national security
concerns…read
more
Legal
Aspects of the Nagorno-Garabagh Conflict
(pp. 14-30)
by Mushfig
Mammadov
The
Nagorno-Garabagh conflict has been going on since 1988. The conflict
between Armenia (although it denies its involvement in the conflict
claiming that it is just “an interested party”) and Azerbaijan is
considered to be the most important conflict in the South Caucasus.
Though the object of this conflict is Nagorno-Garabagh Autonomous Region
(the region was called so as an administrative-territorial area during
the Soviet time), seven other districts of Azerbaijan which have nothing
common with this autonomous region are also occupied by the Armed Forces
of Armenia. So, as a result of the conflict approximately 20% of the
territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan is still under occupation and
more than one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and internally
displaced persons. In May 1994 the parties concluded cease-fire
agreement which is still in force today. The Republic of Azerbaijan
states that Armenia should be recognized as an aggressor according to
the Charter of the UN, but it is not the case yet…read
more
The
Galtung Triangle and Nagorno-Garabagh Conflict
(pp. 31-41)
by Taleh Ziyadov
The
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the longest - standing
conflicts in the former Soviet Union. Despite numerous attempts by
mediating parties and direct talks between the governments of the
Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the conflict remains
unresolved. In this paper, I will try to analyze the general causes of
the conflict within the framework of Johan Galtung’s conflict triangle.
After giving a brief description of the Galtung conflict triangle and
short asymmetry and symmetry analysis, I will examine the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict using the model’s three axes – structural,
cultural (social constructs) and behavioral (direct violence). The paper
will investigate the nature and dynamics of the conflict in
chronological order, starting from 1988 and ending with the signing of
the cease-fire agreement in 1994. Hence, the purpose of this paper is
limited to the three theoretical aspects of Johan Galtung’s conflict
triangle and does not include the conflict’s detailed history and its
post-ceasefire developments. This study aims to increase understanding
of the cultural and structural causes of interethnic violence between
Armenians and Azerbaijanis in 1988-1994…read
more
Is
Azerbaijan going to continue to get massive Inward Foreign Direct Investments?
(pp. 42-48)
by Emil Majidov
Azerbaijan is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The GDP
annual surplus in 2003 was above 11%. The growth for the year 2004 is
10.2%. A record growth of circa 17% is expected in the year 2005. As per
some forecasts (ADB 2005) growth in 2007 may be as much as 26%! It is
highly probable that the country will be the global leader in economic
growth in the coming next 2-3 years. GDP per capita is growing
respectively although from a very low base. In 2004 it was USD 1042 per
capita. Nominal wages grew by 26%. Almost all other major economic
indicators point out a similar growth pattern…read
more
Thieves
of the Law and the Rule of Law in Georgia
(pp. 49-64)
by Virginia Davis Nordin & Georgi Glonti
This
article combines research on the Thieves of the Law in Georgia by a
Georgian criminologist with the search for the real meeting of the Rule
of Law in this former soviet country by an American lawyer. The first
section of the paper cites some of the contradictory descriptions of the
Thieves of the Law in the USSR and Georgia with a brief look at the
functions of customary commercial law in emerging societies and
concludes that the story of the Thieves of the Law is vital to
understand the nature of Georgian society and the possibilities of
establishing the Rule of Law in that Country. The next section
illustrates the importance of and the continuing impact of the Thieves
Law in national and international economic activities. A final
conclusion stresses that defining law, crime and society is complex and
that a knowledge of the particular stories of each is a necessary first
step…read
more
The
Universities of Europe in the New Era
(pp. 65-70)
by Dimitris Michalopoulos
The 1968 student crisis in France was the symptom of a rampant moral and
intellectual disease; for the European universities were no longer
adapted to meet the necessities of the societies that had invented them.
In point of fact, the etymon of the term “university” is the mediaeval
Latin word universitas,
i.e. the erroneous translation of the Greek term encyclopaedia; and
encyclopaedia means a general, advanced education capable of giving rise
to the homo universalis. These homines universales were regarded as the
natural leaders of traditional, hierarchically organized societies as
were those before the French Enlightenment. Therefore, the very issue
which the 1968 crisis raised was the one tackled as early as the 19th
century mainly in France and Russia: Does a modern European society need
universities or highly specialized schools? The time now seems ripe to
opt for the second solution…read
more
Ermənistan-Azərbaycan
münaqişəsinin hüquqi aspektləri
(pp. 71-88)
Müşfiq
Məmmədov
Dağlıq Qarabağ münaqişəsi 1988-ci ildən
davam edir. Ermənistan (baxmayaraq ki, bu münaqişədə iştirakını inkar
edir və burada yalnız “maraqlı tərəf” olduğunu iddia edir) və Azərbaycan
arasındakı bu munaqişə Cənubi Qafqazda ən böyük münaqişədir. Münaqişənin
əsas obyekti Dağlıq Qarabağ Muxtar Vilayəti olsa da, Azərbaycanın bu
vilayətə heç bir aidiyyatı olmayan digər yeddi rayonu da Ermənistan
Silahlı Qüvvələri tərəfindən işğal olunmuşdur. Beləliklə, münaqişə
nəticəsində Azərbaycan Respublikası ərazisinin 20%-i işğal olunmuş və
bir milyondan artıq azərbaycanlı qaçqın və məcburi koçkünə çevrilmişdir.
1994-cü ildə münaqişə tərəfləri bu günə kimi quvvədə qalan atəşkəs
sazişinə imza atmışlar.
Azərbaycan Respublikası ərazi
bütövlüyünün pozulduğunu bildirir və Ermənistanın BMT Nizamnaməsinə
əsasən təcavüzkar dövlət kimi tanınmasını tələb edir. Ermənistan isə
Dağlıq Qarabağın erməni əhalisinin beynəlxalq hüqüqun xalqların öz
müqəddəratını təyinetmə prinsipinə əsasən öz dövlətini yaratmaq hüququna
malik olduğunu bildirir…read
more
Vaşinqtonla
Moskva arasında vurnuxan Özbəkistan
(pp.
89-100)
Martin
Malek
Оrtа Аsiyаdа yеrləşən
Özbəkistаn 1991-ci ildə Sоvеt İttifаqının süqutundаn sоnrа gеniş Qərb
ictimаiyyətinin diqqətindən prаktiki оlаrаq kənаrdа qаlmışdı. Amma bu
vəziyyət 2001-ci ilin sеntyаbrındа Nyu-Yоrk və Vаşinqtоnа tеrrоr
hücumlаrı nəticəsində, АBŞ və оnun müttəfiqlərinin Əfqаnıstаndа Tаlibаn
və Usаmə Bin Lаdеnin Əl-Qаidа təşkilаtınа qаrşı mubаrizəsində
Özbəkistanın əhəmiyyətli bir vasitəyə çеvrildiyi anda dəyişdi. Ancaq
tezliklə 2001-ci ildən bəri Vаşinqtоn və Dаşkənd аrаsındа numаyiş
еtdirilən səmimi munаsibətləri tənqid edənlər meydana çıxdılar. Onların
fikrincə, prеzidеnt İslаm Kərimоvun rəhbərlik etdiyi rejim insаn
hüquqlаrını kobud şəkildə pozur və insanlara hеç bir dеmоkrаtik аzаdlıq
vermir. Belə bir ölkə ilə ittifаqа hаqq qаzаndırmаq ucun hеç tеrrоrizmə
qаrşı muhаribə də kifаyət еtməz…read
more |
