The Geopolitical Rivalry of External Players in Nagorno-Karabakh

Abstract

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the acutest in the Southern Caucasus region. The area may seem of limited importance, but the Southern Caucasus has a strategic value to surrounding powers. Influence over the territory is on the agenda of many great powers. When interests collide, we witness global interactions and a change in the pattern of power relationships among states. Not all external actors have a decisive influence on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The reasons are external actors enjoy the current geopolitical outlay and the geopolitical imaginations of each external player shape a certain approach to containment of the conflict either with classical or critical geopolitical approach in foreign policy. The more than quarter of a century old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict exists on local and regional arenas. External players pursue their own interests in the Southern Caucasus, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict becomes a maneuvering card for all players. Russia is still one of the influential players in the region, however not the only one and shares its place with Turkey. Considering the framework, the USA, and the European Union do not pose a threat to geopolitical dominance to Russia in the region. Moreover, the conflict provides with a platform for Russia and the USA to cooperate. Iran is a cautious player that uses soft power as its only tool in the geopolitical rivalry over Nagorno-Karabakh and hence, the region. The issue is important due to the unstable security situation in the region.