Kavkaz Files ISSN 2975-0474 stands as SpecialEurasia publication, dedicated to unraveling the intricate layers of the Caucasus region’s geopolitical landscape.
The upcoming Kavkaz Investment Forum in Chechnya presents an opportunity to highlight the economic potential of the North Caucasus region. Recent years have seen robust socio-economic growth, but challenges remain, including over-reliance on tourism and external geopolitical pressures.
The resurgence of Islamist radical activity in the North Caucasus region, particularly attributed to the Ingush Jamaat of the Islamic State Wilayat Kavkaz, poses a significant threat to regional stability and security.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which began in 2022, attracted the attention of volunteers from all over the post-Soviet space interested in supporting Kyiv in the fight against Russian forces. Among these volunteers, there are also Azerbaijani fighters who have sided with Ukrainian forces against the Russian armed forces.
FSB special forces’ counter-terrorism operation in Ingushetia stressed Russia’s readiness and strategy to counter the terrorist threat and jihadist propaganda’s impact in those regions as the North Caucasus mainly inhabited by Muslims.
Dmitry Medvedev’s recent visit to Grozny and meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov and local military officials confirmed the role that Chechnya is plying in supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict and the North Caucasian republic’s increasing role in regional and state’s dynamics and foreign policy.
SpecialEurasia had a conversation with Maggie Arutyunyan, Esq., who serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the US-based Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ), along with Narine Vlasyan, Project Coordinator. The purpose of the discussion is to gain a deeper understanding of the recent events in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh and attempt to anticipate potential future developments.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has decided not to ratify the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation, citing concerns about the country’s failure to fulfil major commitments related to democratic processes, human rights, and the Nagorno-Karabakh situation. Azerbaijan has subsequently suspended its cooperation with PACE.
Dagestan State Pedagogical University (DSPU) and Mohammed bin Zayed University of Humanities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently entered into a cooperative agreement, primarily focusing on student and teacher exchanges and collaborations in education. This development underscores Abu Dhabi’s foreign policy interests in the North Caucasus, especially given the Emirati embassy’s cultural initiatives in Dagestan.
The tourism sector in Kabardino-Balkaria has experienced substantial growth, contributing significantly to the region’s budget. In 2023, the sector contributed 13 billion rubles, marking a remarkable thirteen-fold increase in the past five years. The discernible upswing in the tourism sector within Kabardino-Balkaria underscores Russia's committed endeavours towards fostering and augmenting tourist infrastructure in the North Caucasus.
While the North Caucasus Federal District demonstrates resilience, potential risks include external geopolitical influences and the need for sustained economic stability. The region’s dependency on tourism growth demands careful management to avoid overreliance on a single sector. Additionally, monitoring external pressures on the Russian economy remains crucial for sustained development.
The analysis of the role of Islam in Abkhazia thanks to the meeting with Nar Taniya in Sukhum allows the understanding of the country’s modern society and culture and, in addition, relations between Sukhum and the Arab-Muslim world.
The recent arrest of a 23-year-old individual in Ingushetia, implicated in supporting online Imarat Kavkaz, underscores the persistent threat posed by this terrorist organisation in the North Caucasus region. While empirical evidence suggests a strong diminished operational capacity on the ground, the organisation’s propaganda remains a potent force capable of influencing local sentiments.
This report wants to contextualise the impact and importance for Armenia that cultural events such a photographic exhibition can have in Italy, a country which in the last years has developed a strong commercial partnership and connection with Azerbaijan and has demonstrated less attention and interests to the Yerevan and Stepanakert’s position about the Nagorno-Karabakh while has privileged Baku’s narrative.
In July 2023 SpecialEurasia delved into the key aspect by visiting Cherkessk in the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia within the North Caucasus Federal District. The occasion was the Forum of Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Federation, where our team could discuss with Mussa Khabalevich Ekzekov valuable insights into the dynamics of the North Caucasus focusing on ethnic minorities, indigenous people, and local socioeconomic developments.
In October 2022, during SpecialEurasia’s official visit to Yerevan, we discussed with the representatives of the Armenian National Interest Fund (ANIF) the country’s investment opportunities and economic situation. After a year of monitoring the Armenian economic performance and investment market, in this report, we would like to stress ANIF’s role in promoting FDIs connected to the Armenian economic market and establishing a linking with United Arab Emirates.
The Makhachkala Airport protest in the Republic of Dagestan accentuated the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Muslim umma (community) in the Russian Federation and the Kremlin’s necessity to manage potential tensions coming from the coexistence of different religious groups inside the country.
The opening of trading houses between Dagestan and Uzbekistan confirmed Makhachkala’s role in promoting its business in Central Asia and, therefore, supporting the Russian presence in this strategic market. Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, the North Caucasus has played a significant role in promoting the Kremlin’s economic and political presence in Russia’s blizhnee zarubezhe.
The presence of North Caucasian volunteer fighters within the international legion in Ukraine presents a complex dynamic with implications for the broader regional and geopolitical landscape. Notably, their vocal expressions of solidarity with Palestine and criticism of Kyiv’s support for Israel underscore a nuanced discord within the Ukrainian conflict theatre
In August 2023, SpecialEurasia undertook a visit to Abkhazia, engaging in discussions with Viacheslav Chirikba, Director at the Centre for Strategic Studies under the President of Abkhazia, to delve into both the regional geopolitical dynamics and the intricacies of the local socioeconomic landscape.
Erdogan’s planned visit to Nakhchivan following Baku’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh has raised significant concerns regarding the territorial integrity of Armenia since Azerbaijan and Turkey may actively seek to establish the conditions for a potential military intervention in Armenia’s Syunik Province, with the ultimate aim of securing the Zangezur Corridor.
The recent capitulation of Nagorno-Karabakh in the face of Azerbaijan’s military offensive has brought to light Russia’s recalibrated strategic approach in the region. This shift focuses on forging a robust alliance with both Baku and Ankara, a move designed to bolster the INSTC and leverage Turkish land as a potential hub for its new energy approach.