MIR Visiting Expert: Olesya Vartanyan (International Crisis Group)

Olesya Vartanyan has been working on conflicts in the South Caucasus region for almost 15 years. She is currently International Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst responsible for research on regional security issues in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, with a particular focus on breakaway regions in the South Caucasus – Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. Olesya leads advocacy at the national level, in the regional capitals, Europe and the U.S.

“Where Something is Thin, That’s Where it Breaks: How the War in Ukraine Affects Conflicts in the South Caucasus”

Several weeks of war in Ukraine were enough to provoke problems in neighboring regions such as the South Caucasus. This region has been through several wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and now there is anticipation of renewed fighting along remaining front lines. Since early March, tensions have been on the rise in Nagorno-Karabakh. Negotiations in the Georgian conflicts are stalled with no clarity on how to proceed with discussions on the fate of the people who live in post-war zones. Will the war in Ukraine provoke new wars in the South Caucasus?

We invite you to this talk to discuss recent developments and where they may lead. Olesya Vartanyan has been travelling to these conflict zones for over ten years. This will be your chance to get an on-the-ground view of what life looks like in these conflict areas and gain insight into local expectations during these troubled times of the war in Ukraine.