Secular Government and Civic Nationhood in Azerbaijan: History, Context, Implications
CACI FORUM
Secular Government and Civic Nationhood in Azerbaijan: History, Context, Implications
Tuesday, 22 November 2016, from 12 to 2 p.m.
Since its emergence as a nation in the early twentieth century, Azerbaijan’s state and society have both remained remarkably faithful to secular governance and a civic national conception. In recent years, the government has doubled down on these concepts, among other by designating 2016 the year of multiculturalism. But what do these terms mean in practice? What are the policies developed by the Azerbaijani government, and what reactions have emerged in society? How does Azerbaijan compare to countries in its neighborhood, and what are the implications for the West?
Speakers:
Svante E. Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
Moderator: Mamuka Tsereteli, Research Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
This event may now be viewed on the SAIS Events channel on YouTube.
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
The Road Ahead for Azerbaijan and the Caucasus
CACI FORUM
The Road Ahead for Azerbaijan and the Caucasus
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m.
(reception at 5 p.m.; main program at 5:30)
This event can now be viewed on the SAIS events YouTube channel.
A Talk by
Elin Suleymanov
Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America
As Azerbaijan celebrates twenty five years of independence, Ambassador Suleymanov will look at the achievements of his country and focus on future prospects both for Azerbaijan and the region as a whole in an era of mounting tension and geopolitical transformations.
Moderated by S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Azerbaijan Since Independence
Book, Routledge, 2011
Svante E. Cornell, Azerbaijan Since Independence
Azerbaijan Since Independence offers a comprehensive intro- duction to modern Azerbaijan, a post-Soviet republic located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. This small country has outsized importance due to its strategic location at the cross- roads of Europe and Asia, its energy wealth, and its historical experience as an early modernizer in the Muslim world.
The book begins with six chapters on Azerbaijan’s history from pre-Soviet times to the present, with an emphasis on the past twenty years. The next four chapters are thematic, covering the con ict over Karabakh, the political system, the oil-dominated economy, and societal changes and trends including the role of Islam. The remainder of the book surveys Azerbaijan’s foreign relations, with an analysis of the foreign- policy-making context complemented by chapters on relations with Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the West. The book closes with a brief epilogue discussing the country’s future.
Svante E. Cornell is Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program, a Joint Center affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP).
See details and order the book from Routledge or on Amazon.com
Contents:
TRANSIT FORUM: Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor
TRANSIT FORUM with the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey
Thursday, 28 April, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Central Asia, Caspian, South Caucasus and Black Sea regions together form a strategically important transit corridor between China and Europe. Connecting trade, people and economies, the modern trans-Caspian trade and transit routes from China to Europe, envisages an extensive and integrated network of infrastructure, special economic zones, harmonized customs, and cross-border procedures along this route.
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey combined represent a market of more than 110 million consumers. These countries are able to offer customized and integrated solutions to companies with highly sophisticated supply chains.
Video of the forum can now be viewed on the SAIS Events YouTube channel.
On Thursday, April 28, 2016, the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey to the U.S.A., are organizing the “Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor” Forum in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the World Bank Group, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Council for International Understanding, Boeing Company, U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, AmCham Azerbaijan, America-Georgia Business Council, U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association, AmCham Kazakhstan, AmCham Georgia, and Turkish-American Business Association/AmCham Turkey.
This special all-day forum, hosted by the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute at SAIS-Johns Hopkins University, will introduce projects and investments along the modern Silk Road to U.S. business leaders across a variety of multinational industries.
Speakers at this special forum include: Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan; Ambassador Archil Gegeshidze, Georgia; Ambassador Kairat Umarov, Kazakhstan; Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, Turkey; Mr. Gary Litman, VP, US Chamber of Commerce; S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, JHU-SAIS; Dr. Taleh Ziyadov, Director-General, Baku International Sea and Trade Port; Mr. Rauf Valiyev, Chairman, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping; Mr. Mamuka Bakhtadze, CEO, Georgian Railways; Ms. Ketevan Salukvadze, Head of Transport Policy Dept., Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development; Mr. Askar Mamin, President, Kazakhstan Railways; Mr. Sanzhar Yelubayev, President of KTZ Express; Mr. Osman Nuri Beyhan, Deputy Director General for EU and International Affairs, Ministry of Customs and Trade; and others TBA.
Schedule, Thursday, 28 April 2016:
8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Welcome by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, the US
Dept of State, Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Kazakhstan, and Turkey, and representatives from the US
Chamber of Commerce
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Panel #1: "Trans-South Caucasus Customs and Trade
Facilitation: What Needs to Be Done?"
Moderator: S. Frederick Starr
11:00 - 11:25 a.m. Q & A
11:25 - 11:40 a.m. Break (refreshments)
11:40 - 12:40 p.m. Panel #2: "'From Sea to Sea' Integrated Regional Transit
and Logistics Infrastructure."
Moderator: TBD
12:40 - 1:00 p.m. Q & A
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Lunch served in the auditorium
2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Panel #3 "Commercial and Investment Opportunities:
Financing, Logistics, and Supply Chain."
Moderator: Jorg Frieden, Executive Director, The World
Bank Group
3:00 - 3:25 p.m. Q & A
3:25 - 4:00 p.m. Closing remarks
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Multiculturalism and inter-religious tolerance: the experience of Azerbaijan and its significance for Europe
ISDP Conference
Multiculturalism and inter-religious tolerance: the experience of Azerbaijan and its significance for Europe
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, from 2 to 4 p.m.
On November 18, 2015, a delegation of religious dignitaries from Azerbaijan will visit Stockholm. The delegation consists of the Muslim mufti, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, as well as the Russian Orthodox Archbishop, the Catholic Nuncio, and the leaders of the community of Mountain Jews and the Community of European Jews of Azerbaijan, as well as the State Counsellor for multiculturalism and religious affairs. In a time when the greater Middle East suffers from escalating sectarian conflict, the Azerbaijani delegation provides a unique example of ethnic, religious tolerance and mutual understanding -- as recently showcased by Time Magazine.
A seminar will be held in Stockholm's Sheraton Hotel on November 18 between 14.00-18.00, which will provide the opportunity to discuss the Azerbaijani and Swedish experiences of multiculturalism and religious tolerance.
The Institute for Security and Development Policy is a co-organizer of this seminar in cooperation with the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Baku International Multiculturalism Center.
Conference program:
- 14:00 – 14:30 Welcome speeches
Kamal Abdullayev: Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
State Adviser on Inter-ethnic, Multicultural and Religious Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (click for video)
Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazada
Chairman of the Caucasian Muslim Board
Dr. Adish Mammadov
Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Sweden (click for video)
Dr. Svante Cornell
Director of the Institute of Security and Development Policy (click for video)
- 14:30 – 16:00 Panel I
"Azerbaijan's experience of inter-religious tolerance"
Moderator:
Azad Mammadov
Executive director of Baku International Multiculturalism Center
Lectures:
Kamal Abdullayev: Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences
State Adviser on Inter-ethnic, Multicultural and Religious Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazada
Chairman of the Caucasian Muslim Board
Alexander Ishein
Archbishop of the Baku and Azerbaijan eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church
Ordinary Vladimir Fekete
Ordinary of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan
Milix Yevdayev
Leader of the Mountain Jews Religious Community
Gennadiy Zelmanovich
Chairman of the Baku Religious Community of European Jews
16:00 – 16:30 Break
- 16:30 – 18:00 Panel II
"Azerbaijani and Swedish models of multiculturalism: comparative analysis"
Moderator:
Dr. Svante Cornell
Director of the Institute of Security and Development Policy
Lectures:
Helene Egnell
The Centre for Inter Faith Dialogue
Göran Lennmarker
Former member of Swedish parliament, former president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Azad Mammadov
Executive director of Baku International Multiculturalism Center
Dr. Svante Cornell
Director of the Institute of Security and Development Policy
Stefan Gullgren
Deputy Director-General of the Swedish MFA, Head of Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The working languages of the conference will be Azerbaijani and English.
The complete program is available here.
Location:
Sheraton Stockholm Hotel
Tegelbacken 6
10123 Stockholm, Sweden
News
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Central Asia Diplomats Call for Closer Ties With US
REPRINTED with permission from Voice of America News
By Navbahor Imamova
WASHINGTON -- U.S.-based diplomats from Central Asia, a region long dominated by Russia and more recently China, say they are eager for more engagement with the United States.Many American foreign policy experts agree that a more robust relationship would be mutually beneficial, though U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations express deep concerns about human rights and authoritarian rule in the five countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Michael Delaney, a former U.S. trade official, argued in favor of greater engagement this week at a webinar organized by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce.
He noted that three of the five republics are World Trade Organization members and the other two are in the accession process — a goal actively encouraged by the U.S. government.
"I've always believed that this is a geographically disadvantaged area. There are relatively small national economies," he said. But, he said, collectively the region represents a potentially more connected market, about 80 million people.
Key issues
In this virtual gathering, all five Central Asian ambassadors to Washington expressed eagerness to work on issues the U.S. has long pushed for, such as water and energy sustainability, security cooperation, environmental protection and climate, and connectivity.
Kazakhstan's Ambassador Yerzhan Ashikbayev said that despite all factors, the United States does not want to leave the field to China, its global competitor, which actively invests in the region.
"Recent visit by 20 companies to Kazakhstan as a part of certified U.S. trade mission, including technology giants like Apple, Microsoft, Google, but also other partners like Boeing, have shown a growing interest," Ashikbayev said.
The Kazakh diplomat described a "synergy" of economies and diplomatic efforts. All Central Asian states are committed to dialogue, trade and multilateralism, he said. "As we are witnessing the return of the divisive bloc mentalities almost unseen for 30 years, it's in our best interest to prevent Central Asia from turning into another battleground of global powers."
During his first tour of Central Asia earlier this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, meeting separately with the foreign ministers of all five countries.
That was deeply appreciated, said Meret Orazov, Turkmenistan's longtime ambassador, who also praised the regular bilateral consultations the U.S. holds with these countries.
Uzbek Ambassador Furqat Sidiqov sees the U.S. as an important partner, with "long-standing friendship and cooperation which have only grown stronger over the years."
"The U.S. has played a significant role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among the Central Asian nations through initiatives such as the C5+1," he said, referring to a diplomatic platform comprising Washington and the region's five governments.
"This is where we address common concerns and enhance integration," said Sidiqov. "We encourage the U.S. to bolster this mechanism."
Tashkent regards Afghanistan as key to Central Asia's development, potentially linking the landlocked region to the markets and seaports of South Asia. Sidiqov said his country counts on American assistance.
'Possibility of positive change'
Fred Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington, ardently advocates for the U.S. to adopt closer political, economic and people-to-people ties with the region.
In a recent paper, he wrote that among dozens of officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs, experts, journalists and civil society leaders interviewed in Central Asia, "even those most critical of American positions saw the possibility of positive change and … all acknowledged that the need for change is on both sides, theirs as well as ours."
This is the only region that doesn't have its own organization, said Starr, arguing that the U.S. could support this effort. "We have not done so, probably because we think that this is somehow going to interfere with their relations with their other big neighbors, the north and east, but it's not going to. It's not against anyone."
"Easy to do, low cost, very big outcome," he added, also underscoring that "there is a feeling the U.S. should be much more attentive to security."
"Japan, the European Union, Russia, China, their top leaders have visited. … No U.S. president has ever set foot in Central Asia," he said. He added that regional officials are left to wonder, "Are we so insignificant that they can't take the time to visit?"
Starr urges U.S. President Joe Biden to convene the C5+1 in New York during the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly in September. "This would not be a big drain on the president's time, but it would be symbolically extremely important," he said. "All of them want this to happen."
Read at VOA News -
Read CACI Chairman S. Frederick Starr's recent interview on the resurgence of Imperial Russia with The American Purpose
Why Russians Support the War: Jeffrey Gedmin interviews S. Frederick Starr on the resurgence of Imperial Russia.
The American Purpose, May 23, 2023
Jeffrey Gedmin: Do we have a Putin problem or a Russia problem today?
S. Frederick Starr: We have a Putin problem because we have a Russia problem. Bluntly, the mass of Russians are passive and easily manipulated—down to the moment they aren’t. Two decades ago they made a deal with Vladimir Putin, as they have done with many of his predecessors: You give us a basic income, prospects for a better future, and a country we can take pride in, and we will give you a free hand. This is the same formula for autocracy that prevailed in Soviet times, and, before that, under the czars. The difference is that this time Russia’s leader—Putin—and his entourage have adopted a bizarre and dangerous ideology, “Eurasianism,” that empowers them to expand Russian power at will over the entire former territory of the USSR and even beyond. It is a grand and awful vision that puffs up ruler and ruled alike.
What do most Russians think of this deal? It leaves them bereft of the normal rights of citizenship but free from its day-to-day responsibilities. So instead of debating, voting, and demonstrating, Russians store up their frustrations and then release them in elemental, often destructive, and usually futile acts of rebellion. This “Russia problem” leaves the prospect of change in Russia today in the hands of alienated members of Putin’s immediate entourage, many of whom share his vision of Russia’s destiny and are anyway subject to Putin’s ample levers for control. Thus, our “Putin problem” arises from our “Russia problem.”
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CACI director Svante Cornell's interviewed on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election
Listen to CACI director Svante Cornell's recent interview on the 'John Batchelor Show' podcast regarding Turkey's 2023 presidential election. Click here!
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New Article Series on Changing Geopolitics of Central Asia and the Caucasus
