The 2013 Electoral Cycle in the South Caucasus and the Russia Factor

Author(s): Sergey Markedonov
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 142
Pages: 8-11
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2014

Russia continues to consider the South Caucasus as a region of significance for its strategic interest. Therefore, Moscow viewed the presidential elections held in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia during 2013 with great interest. However, none of these elections signaled any major shifts or breakthroughs for Russias foreign policy in the South Caucasus. Nonetheless, Moscow is largely satisfied with the outcomes of the elections in terms of its main interest of retaining the status quo that has emerged in the South Caucasus since August 2008. However, Russia lacks an overall strategy towards the region, including a lack of engagement with the wider civil societies of the region, which may be storing up problems for its relations with these states in the long-term.

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