A late divorce: how Armenia is gradually taking control of its own borders

Armenia and Turkey are stepping up efforts to reopen the long-closed Kars–Gyumri railway, holding a new round of technical talks as part of a broader normalization process between the two countries, Armenia’s foreign ministry said.

The security system of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan currently cannot be unified in the full sense of the term: the three countries have differing threats, alliances, and foreign policy orientations. Nevertheless, a functioning regional model is possible if it is built around shared rules rather than around a single center of power.

When Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Georgian capital on April 6, the symbolism was unmistakable: flags lining the central avenues, meticulously observed protocol, and a series of high-level meetings designed to demonstrate continuity in a region often characterized by uncertainty.

For decades, the late Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, remained one of the most influential figures in the country — a religious leader whose authority extended far beyond the church and into the fragile political and social architecture of the South Caucasus.