Commenting on the telephone call from U.S. Vice-President-Elect Mike Pence to Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Armenian Service, RSC Director Richard Giragosian explained that unlike the usual protocol of conversations between the U.S. presidents and heads of state, such as those between President-Elect Donald Trump and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine among others, the fact that the incoming U.S. Vice President called the Armenian president was a “breach of protocol that represents an unusual situation.” However, Giragosian downplayed the significance of that breach, saying that it “does not reflect any diplomatic insult.” Rather, he interpreted the call from Pence as a way to repair the damage from recent calls from Trump to other world leaders that were largely criticized, most notably including the Trump conversation with the Pakistani premier. Giragosian concluded by stressing that “therefore, I think that Washington apparently decided to place the call to the Armenian president and rely on the professional and experienced Vice President instead, which is probably better for Armenia.”
In the seventh article in our “RSC Guest Analysis” publication series, entitled “Land for Peace: A Comparative Analysis of the Cases of Israel and Nagorno-Karabakh,” RSC Resident Fellow Lynette Hacopian offers an innovative comparative assessment of the concept of “land for peace” in the cases of Israel and Nagorno-Karabakh. Hacopian argues that “of the many aspects of the complex Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the core issues of self determination and territorial integrity have presented a challenging clash or even contradiction of key principles of international law. Within the framework of diplomacy and mediation, there is also a related issue of the need for concession and compromise, largely defined by the surrender of Armenian-held, or ‘occupied,’ territories of Azerbaijan proper beyond the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, in exchange for the self-determination of Karabakh through a referendum on final status.”
The Georgian Institute of Politics published the first issue of their new publication on 1 December 2016, entitled, “What Does the Russian-Armenian Joint Military Force Mean for Security in the South Caucasus?” In the first issue, at the request of the Georgian Institute of Politics, RSC Director Richard Giragosian joined a selection of experts from Italy, Georgia, and the United Kingdom for an analytical comment on the joint military force and its implications for security in the South Caucasus.
In an interview the Azerbaijani Meydan TV, RSC Director Richard Giragosian commented on his participation in an “Expert Panel” on the South Caucasus, held on 28-29 November and organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Foundation). The closed workshop focused on “current developments in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus in light of internal transformations in Azerbaijan and Turkey.” The two-day workshop ended with a public session that featured a discussion between experts, scientists, political analysts, journalists and civil society representatives from a number of countries.
In an article for Global Risk Insights, RSC Director Richard Giragosian offered his analysis of likely shifts in American engagement in the former Soviet Union in an article entitled, “Trump’s plans: The outlook for U.S. foreign policy towards Eurasia.”
http://globalriskinsights.com/2016/11/trump-foreign-policy-eurasia/