The Regional Studies Center (RSC) held its latest closed monthly briefing on November 5, offering a comprehensive analysis consisting of three main issues: an assessment of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, with a focus on the last three meetings of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents; a review of developments in Armenia’s “strategic orientation,” including both the course of Armenia’s bid to join the Eurasian Economic Union and the outlook for the development of Armenian relations with the European Union (EU); and an analysis of recent political developments in Armenia.

Meeting in Helsinki, Finland, two former officials and lead negotiators from Armenia and Azerbaijan, David Shahnazaryan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and the former Ambassador of the President of the Republic of Armenia on Special Missions (1992-95), and Eldar Namazov, former Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the head of Presidential Secretariat (1993-99), led a group of eight representatives of civil society and experts and issued a Declaration on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict on 3 November 2014.

RSC Director Richard Giragosian participated in roundtable discussion on 30 October entitled, “Repercussions of the Ukraine Crisis in the South Caucasus: Politics and Security.” Organized by the Caucasus Institute (CI) and moderated by CI Director Alexander Iskandaryan, the roundtable featured presentations by Giragosian, which assessed the political and economic challenges facing Ukraine, and a presentation by CI Deputy Director Sergey Minasyan on “the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on regional security in the Caucasus and potential repercussions in the entire post-Soviet space.”

In cooperation with the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, the Regional Studies Center (RCS) co-sponsored a two-day training seminar on 20-21 October 2014 for Armenian public sector communicators, journalists and the members of the civil society focused on the development of EU-related communications in Armenia.

After a successful first part of a two-phase training course entitled, “Closed Borders, Open Minds,” in Yerevan from 12-19 May 2014, with twenty participants from Armenia and Turkey, the second, follow-up training was held in Istanbul from 13-19 October 2014.

In partnership with the Civic Forum NGO, a recognized leader in the field of youth education and training, the second phase of the RSC youth training focused on the deepening of participants’ knowledge, developing their skills and shaping a more positive opinion and political context of the Armenia-Turkey normalisation process.

A more detailed report of the training is attached.