Normalizing Domestic Oppression

by Alessandro Regio This year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Turkmenistan, was a reaffirmation that the organization has come a long way from its relatively humble beginnings in the mid-1990’s. Iran came closer to joining the bloc, while Russia… Continue Reading

A Power Shift to the East: Iran and the SCO

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi and Seyedrasoul Mousavi On June 8-9, the 18th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in Qingdao, China. The SCO consists of eight full members (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, India, and… Continue Reading

New Embassy Is Sign of Strengthening Chinese-Armenian Ties

by Oksana Musaelyan China is building a new embassy in Yerevan that, once completed, will be Beijing’s second biggest in the former Soviet Union. The project is a sign of China’s growing economic and diplomatic roles in Armenia. The groundbreaking ceremony… Continue Reading

Will Russia and Iran Finally Tie the Knot?

by Shireen Hunter Despite its slogan of “Neither East Nor West, only Islamic Republic” and its labeling of the USSR as the “little Satan,” the Islamic Republic of Iran from its very early days viewed the USSR and the other… Continue Reading