Author Archives: huseynpanahov

Russian Expectations for Post-Sanctions Iran

Between signing of the JCPOA in July 2015 and lifting of the sanctions in January 2016, Moscow had a special window of opportunity to gain economic benefits from its politico-military friendship with Tehran that may bear fruit in the future. But in return, Russia must now prepare itself for competition: Russia will compete with Iran in the international energy markets while also competing with European, Chinese, and American investors for a slice of the newly opened Iranian market. This will be an especially challenging task in light of the domestic economic challenges that Russia currently faces, but the payoff may be worth it.

Will Iran Keep Its Promises?

Originally published on The Diplomat Magazine by Huseyn Panahov When the P5+1 struck a deal with Iran on its nuclear program in July 2015, general expectations were that the sanctions could be lifted as early as spring 2016. Within the agreed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iranian Foreign Ministry signed several obligations that […]
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Ukraine signed FTA with the EU. Now what?

Since Soviet times the Ukrainian economy was well integrated with the Russian one, so it will be a lengthy and challenging process for Ukraine to re-orient into the European market. However, there are several factors that will help smooth this transition.

Russia vs the West: ideological or not?

It is also hard to say that the current confrontation between Russia and the West is fundamentally ideological, since Russia and the Western countries can develop in harmony and profit from mutually beneficial partnerships.

What do Azerbaijanis in Iran want?

So long as Iran will not listen to its own people and continue to suppress their voices, the Islamic Republic will be sitting on a tinderbox that can spark a fire at any point. Last week, in an attempt to quell the protesters chanting “no to racism” on the streets of Tabriz, Urmia, and Zanjan, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting apologized for the “unforgivable mistake”

10 Warning Messages about the Environment

Potential environmental crisis in the unknown future is no longer as distant and it’s encroaching at us at much faster pace than expected. There’s little time to take universal action against human damages to the ecosystem, before it’s too late. So, bring up the environmental issues, discuss them and demand the reforms that would minimize human impact on our environment.

Where Does the Caspian Sea Figure in Russia’s Strategic Calculus?

Whatever the reason, or combination of reasons, it is clear that Russia is trying to position itself not only as a political alternative to the United States and European Union, but also as a military rival and counterweight. The main unanswered question at this point is whether Putin’s Russia has a purse large enough to successfully implement that goal.

Who’s to blame for the Syrian Refugee Crisis?

What started as a domestic political issue of Syria in 2011 is standing as a refugee crisis at the doors of the European Union today. It shows how far integrated and interdependent our world has become and how cautious we should be about the developments in the wider region. Nevertheless, recent public calls for a […]
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Syrian refugees and Muslim holidays

What if half a million pilgrims instead of going to Hajj, donated their $5000 to build shelters for Syrian refugees? If you think about it, such generosity might have even saved the lives of 717 pilgrims who died in the stampede on 24 September 2015.

NATO Wales Summit

NATO Needs an Emergency Council for Timely Crisis Management

the RAP will enable the Alliance, at the operational level, to rapidly deploy troops in crisis situations, but it lacks the political level decision-making mechanism needed to rapidly initiate the process.