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