RESTART
INITIATIVE
Building Connections for Development in
Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus
Events
Restart Initiative at the Munich Security Conference
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On February 16, 2025, Restart Initiative's Director, Isabelle McRae, hosted an official side event inside the Munich Security Conference in the library of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel together with the Founder Emin Milli. The event focused on the geopolitics of the trans- Caspian region in the context of climate change, and was titled "Caspian Conundrum: Rethinking Climate and Conflict in Eurasia Security". It was the only event at MSC dedicated to the region.
The keynote speaker of the event was Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Mr. Aripov shared his insights on cooperation, challenges, and opportunities for the member states of the Organization of Turkic States, the development of regional independent trade and investment, the significant risks of climate change and the potential for regional conflict and cooperation.
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Emin Milli presented an analysis of the situation surrounding the Zangezur Corridor and possible development scenarios in the South Caucasus and the Caspian region as a whole in the context of Eurasian security.
During the roundtable, participants engaged in an exchange of views on issues for Central Asia and the South Caucasus and how wider great power politics are shaping new developments in the region, from critical minerals and water security, to terrorism and migration.
photo credit MSCPHOTOGRAPHER
Restart Initiative at the Climate Change, Peace and Security Report Presentation in Berlin, Germany,
October 2024
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The Bonn Contact Group on Climate, Peace and Security ahead of COP29, held its final report presentation on 9 October at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. The meeting was attended by representatives of Berlin-based civil society organisations, policymakers, academics and international organisations. The meeting focused on three critical reports examining the intersections of climate change with water scarcity, land degradation and food insecurity. The event was organised by LINKS Europe in collaboration with the Restart Initiative and the Candid Foundation.
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In her opening remarks, Isabelle McRae, Director of the Restart Initiative, explained the origins of the Bonn Contact Group and its aim to bring the nexus of conflict, peace and climate change onto the climate change agenda for COP29, mentioning the group's Bonn workshop on 3 May 2024 and commissioned reports. She also discussed integrated approaches to addressing climate change, food, water and land degradation issues, emphasising the importance of conflict sensitivity and cross-border cooperation.
​Read the commissioned reports here and background about the event on Commonspace.eu
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Restart Initiative involved in Climate Change, Peace and Security Dialogue, Bonn, Germany,
May 2024
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Restart, in collaboration with LINKS Europe and the Candid Foundation, organized a dialogue meeting on “Climate Change Peace and Security – COP29 and Beyond” at the Bonn University Club on May 3, 2024. Representatives from various state parties to the Climate Convention and the UN Climate Secretariat joined participants from around 30 academic institutions, think tanks, and civil society organizations to review the work from COP28 in Dubai and plan for COP29 in Baku.
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At the opening session, notable speakers included HE Hana al Hashemi, the UAE COP28 Chief Negotiator, HE Nigar Arpadarai, the UN High-Level Champion for COP29, and Markus Hicken, Director for Energy Foreign Policy, Climate and Security at the German Federal Foreign Office. The event featured intensive discussions on the COP process and the nexus of climate change, peace, and security, with contributions from experts from leading institutions such as Chatham House, the German Council on Foreign Relations, ADELPHI, SOAS, Heidelberg University, and The Hertie School.
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Restart Initiative joins LINKS Europe for a Roundtable on Water Security in the South Caucasus, Bonn, Germany, May 2024
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Restart presented our work on Armenia-Azerbaijan water dialogues and emphasised the need for the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to start co-operating on water issues in the region. Given the interconnectivity of water resources, and the increasing impact of climate change on water resources, we underscored the positive role that can be played by professionals and experts working on water management issues.
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Also participating in the workshop were the Joint Armenia-Azerbaijan Experts Liaison Group on Confidence-building measures in the South Caucasus (JOLIG), Hertie School, and representatives from Chatham House.
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Armenian and Azerbaijani Analyst Briefings at the German Bundestag, March 2023
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In collaboration with the Candid Foundation and Hertie School, Restart Initiative brought together two prominent Armenian and Azerbaijani political analysts, Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan and Dr. Farhad Mammadov, for a briefing at the German Bundestag. Hosted by Ms. Tabea Rossner, Member of the German Parliament, the experts discussed the current state of negotiations and peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The session provided valuable insights into the complex political situation in the region and highlighted the importance of continuing the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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Following the event at the Bundestag, Dr. Mammadov and Dr. Poghosyan met with Dr. Matthias Vollert, Head of Division for the South Caucasus and Central Asia at the German MFA, as well as Mr. Michael Roth, MP and Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Restart Initiative and Candid Foundation host briefings in Paris at the French MFA, June 2023
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In partnership with the Candid Foundation, Restart Initiative organized a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France with the leaders of two leading think tanks in Armenia and Azerbaijan Mr. Ahmad Alili and Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan. Meetings were also held at think tanks in Paris, as well as the European Council on Foreign Relations.
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Armenian and Azerbaijani Analyst Briefings at the German Bundestag, September 2023
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In collaboration with the Candid Foundation and APRI Armenia, Restart Initiative brought together Mr. Ahmad Alili, Director of the Caucasus Policy Analysis Center in Baku, and Ms. Lara Setrakian, President of APRI Armenia, for a briefing at the German Bundestag. Hosted by Mr. Michael Roth, Member of the German Parliament and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and moderated by Leo Wigger, Associate Partner of the Candid Foundation and editor at zenith Magazine, the experts discussed the current state of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In attendance were the Ambassadors for Armenia and Azerbaijan to Germany.
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Following the briefing, Ms. Setrakian and Mr. Alili gave an interview to Die Welt newspaper, available in German here.
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"New roles for old actors? - Regional powers and security in the South Caucasus" panel event, June 2023
In partnership with the Candid Foundation, Restart Initiative hosted a panel event in Berlin for think tankers and officials. The keynote speakers were Mr. Ali Hajizade and Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan, joined in discussion by Hamidreza Azizi (SWP, Berlin), Huseyin Cicek (Turkey Analyst, Vienna, online), Gallia Lindenstrauss (INSS, Tel Aviv, online), Konstantin Yegert (journalist, Russia), and Igor Semyvolos (Director, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Ukraine). The discussion was about the current state of peace negotiations and geopolitical alliances in the South Caucasus, and the roles and perspectives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Israel, and Iran.
Series on Post-Oil Development of Azerbaijan at Oxford University
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In Spring of 2021, Restart Initiative conceptualized and helped organize the first-ever series exclusively on post-oil development in Azerbaijan at Oxford University, featuring Azerbaijani scholars from academic institutions around the globe. See recordings of selected lectures and our interview with Prof. Christopher Gerry, Director of Russian and East European Studies at Oxford University, on our Daha Yaxşı YouTube channel.
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On the one-year anniversary of the cease-fire agreement ending the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in November 2021, this panel took stock of the progress and roadblocks in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations over the previous year.
The focus was on a future-oriented discussion of the prospects, opportunities, and challenges for cooperation, economic connectivity and peacebuilding between the two countries.
