Day: November 17, 2025

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NATO and South Caucasus

Through political dialogue and practical cooperation programs. NATO seeks to promote stability, security, and democratic reforms in the region, which is strategically important due to its energy resources and location between Europe and Asia, amidst waning Russian influence. NATO’s relationship with theSouth Caucasus involves partnerships withArmenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Key Aspects of the Relationship
Partnership for Peace (PfP): All three South Caucasus nations joined the PfP program in the 1990s, the primary framework for practical military and defense cooperation with the Alliance.
Political Dialogue: NATO maintains high-level political engagement, including the position of the Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia to coordinate partnership policy. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited all three countries in March 2024 to underscore the alliance’s commitment to the region’s security and sovereignty.
NATO Liaison Office in Georgia: A dedicated NATO Liaison Office is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, with a mandate for the entire South Caucasus region, facilitating cooperation and reform efforts.
Focus Areas: Cooperation includes areas such as defense institution building, military education and training, counter-terrorism, and cybersecurity.
Energy Security: The region is a crucial energy and transit corridor, particularly the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey link. Ensuring the security of this infrastructure is a key interest for NATO and its European members seeking to diversify energy sources away from Russia.
Country-Specific Relations
would eventually become a member. Cooperation is extensive, but Russian military presence in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia complicates its path to membership.Georgia:Georgiahas a strong aspiration for full NATO membership, a goal acknowledged at the 2008 Bucharest Summit, where Allies agreed thatGeorgia
pursues a multi-vector foreign policy, joining the Non-Aligned Movement but also engaging as a reliable NATO partner, particularly on energy security and contributions to past NATO-led operations.Azerbaijan:Azerbaijan
is a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) but has recently taken steps to diversify its foreign policy and “freeze” its participation in the CSTO. NATO supports Armenia’s sovereignty and is developing an Individually Tailored Partnership Program to define key areas of future cooperation.Armenia:Armenia
Geopolitical Context
NATO’s increased engagement in the South Caucasus is partly a response to the strategic void left by Russia’s focus on the war in Ukraine. This shift is reshaping the regional power dynamics, presenting opportunities and challenges as the South Caucasus nations navigate the complex balance between Western integration and traditional ties to Russia.

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 17, 2025

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— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 17, 2025