The South Caucasus: Caught or Chosen in the New World Order?

🎙 This week on Global Power Shifts, we turn our focus to one of the world’s most overlooked yet strategically vital regions: the South Caucasus.Our guest is Emil Avdaliani — Georgian analyst, university professor, Oxford graduate, and contributor to the Carnegie Endowment and TRENDS Research. He specializes in Eurasian connectivity and the evolving role of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in a shifting global order.From Georgia’s EU aspirations to the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Emil argues that this narrow corridor between Europe and Asia is no longer just a post-Soviet borderland — it’s becoming a case study in 21st-century multipolarity.We explore:Why the post-Soviet label no longer fitsHow Russia’s regional influence is being testedThe role of China, Turkey, and the West in shaping the CaucasusWhat Georgia’s future tells us about global power realignmentIf you want to understand how big power politics are playing out in smaller, critical places — this episode is for you.Hosted by Jim Stenman and recorded on May 17, 2025, in Tbilisi, Georgia.🎧 Subscribe for more conversations decoding the new world order.