Forums & Events
CACI & SRSP co-hosted the Inaugural Central Asia-Nordic Think Tank Forum with the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent
November 26, 2025: CACI & SRSP were honored to co-host the Inaugural Central Asia-Nordic Think Tank Forum with the International Institute for Central Asia in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Forum, following up on a May 2025 seminar hosted by ISDP in Stockholm that brought together Nordic and Central Asian experts, seeks to be a driving force in developing closer ties between the Nordic countries and the Central Asian region.
While Nordic countries have had diplomatic relations with Central Asian states for decades, the region has not featured prominently in the foreign policy of Nordic states. Yet the strategic importance of Central Asian states has been identified by the EU, which has rapidly ramped up the level and intensity of its interaction with Central Asia. Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s recent visit to the region suggests the same is happening in the Nordic states. Meanwhile, Central Asian states are expanding their diplomatic networks, and the Nordic region has become a priority for regional states. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have resident ambassadors in Stockholm, and Kyrgyzstan has appointed a Special Representative for the Nordic Region.
The establishment of the Central Asia–Nordic Council Think Tank Forum represents a timely and strategic step toward unlocking the potential of relations between these two regions. By bringing together leading experts and researchers from both regions, the Forum fosters knowledge exchange, policy innovation, and joint action on shared priorities such as sustainability, education, digital transformation, connectivity, and inclusive governance. Over time, this platform can serve as the intellectual engine for deeper, more systematic engagement, including future high-level summits and ministerial dialogues.
Through practical cooperation and the sharing of best practices, Central Asia and the Nordic countries can build a robust partnership—moving beyond dialogue to real solutions for sustainable development, resilient institutions, and shared prosperity.
Webinar Recap: Small States in Russia's Neighborhood
On October 28th, 2025, the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council hosted a webinar introducing Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan’s new book Small States, Russia, and the West: Polarity, Constellations, and Heterogeneity in the Geopolitics of the Caucasus. The book explores how small states in the Caucasus navigate intense great-power competition, particularly amid Russia’s resurgence as a regional power. Abrahamyan argues that these nations’ foreign policies reflect not only Russian or Western influence but also their unique cultures, domestic power dynamics, and worldviews. Using an expanded Constellation Theory, he provides a fresh framework for understanding how non-Western regional orders form in today’s increasingly multipolar world.
Watch the full discussion here or on YouTube!
The discussion explores three strategic shocks that Abrahamyan examines in his book. He notes that despite similar geopolitical realities, the three Caucasus states have varied responses to the 2008 invasion of Georgia, 2014 occupation of Crimea, and 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Vitally, the speakers also focus on the potential for greater regional unity and strategic development, and emphasize the importance of this region, noting that “what happens in the South Caucasus rarely stays there”—highlighting its broader strategic significance.
Feature Speakers:
Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Yerevan-based Institute for Security Analysis and a Teaching Fellow in International Relations at University College London. He served as an aide to the President of the Republic of Armenia on foreign affairs from 2019 to 2021 and was a Rumsfeld Fellow in 2017.
He spoke in conversation with Prof. Tengiz Pkhaladze, Professor at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs and a Senior Fellow at the European Centre for International Political Economy. Previously, Pkhaladze was an Advisor and Foreign Relations Secretary to the President of Georgia. Dr. Pkhaladze previously served as Chairman of the International Centre for Geopolitical Studies (2008–2014). Both Dr. Abrahamyan and Dr. Pkhaladze are former CAMCA (Rumsfeld) Fellows.
The discussion was introduced by Lindsey Cliff, a Researcher at AFPC’s Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and a graduate student in Georgetown’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies.
Webinar: The West's Inflection Point in the Caucasus: Untying the Georgian Knot
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) is excited to invite you to register for our upcoming webinar "The West's Inflection Point in the Caucasus: Untying the Georgian Knot."
Featured Speakers:
John DiPirro: Senior Fellow in Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council and Senior Fellow with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
Tengiz Pkhaladze: Senior Fellow at ECIPE and Associate Professor at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs
Laura Linderman: Senior Fellow and Director of Programs at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute of the American Foreign Policy Council
Moderated by: Tamar Kekenadze, Associate Professor of Politics and Head of the Advanced Research and Policy Development Institute at the British University in Georgia and Managing Director of the CAMCA Regional Forum
Register here!
Webinar: Small States in Russia's Neighborhood
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) is excited to invite you to register for our upcoming webinar “Small States in Russia’s Neighborhood."
Register here!
The webinar will cover Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan’s new book Small States, Russia and the West: Polarity, Constellations and Heterogeneity in the Geopolitics of the Caucasus. The book explores how small states in the Caucasus navigate intense great-power competition, particularly amid Russia’s resurgence as a regional power. Abrahamyan argues that these nations’ foreign policies reflect not only Russian or Western influence, but also their unique cultures, domestic power dynamics, and worldviews. Using an expanded Constellation Theory, he provides a fresh framework for understanding how non-Western regional orders form in today’s increasingly multipolar world.
Feature Speakers:
Dr. Eduard Abrahamyan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Yerevan-based Institute for Security Analysis and a Teaching Fellow in International Relations at University College London. He served as an aide to the President of the Republic of Armenia on foreign affairs from 2019 to 2021 and was a Rumsfeld Fellow in 2017.
He will be in conversation with Prof. Tengiz Pkhaladze, Professor at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs and a Senior Fellow at the European Centre for International Political Economy. Previously, he was an Advisor and Foreign Relations Secretary to the President of Georgia. Dr. Pkhaladze previously served as Chairman of the International Centre for Geopolitical Studies (2008–2014).
Both Dr. Abrahamyan and Dr. Pkhaladze are former CAMCA (Rumsfeld) Fellows.
The discussion will be introduced by Lindsey Cliff, a Researcher at AFPC’s Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and a graduate student in Georgetown’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies.
Register here!
Purchase the book here!
