The Hague Research Institute

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The Hague Research Institute

...for Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus & Central Asia is an independent non-profit think-tank.

29/07/2026

„The corridor illustrates a broader paradox at the heart of contemporary Eurasian geopolitics. The same instability that has elevated the strategic value of pursuing alternative trade, energy, and digital routes, also threatens their implementation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated interest in the South Caucasus as a connectivity hub, while the ongoing conflict involving Iran has further underscored the risks associated with traditional transit routes. In doing so, these crises have strengthened the rationale for projects such as TRIPP, even as they generate new security, political, and financial uncertainties.“ 🗺️

Can a transport corridor become a framework for peace, energy security and digital connectivity? Why is the same instability that threatens TRIPP also driving demand for it? And how are Russia, the EU, China and Georgia repositioning themselves around the project?

Find the full article by Vita van Dreven and Elena Zarantoniello on our website: https://hagueresearch.org/the-tripp-corridor-connectivity-and-geopolitics-in-the-south-caucasus/

28/07/2026

Before the summer break starts, we would like to introduce one more member of our team that should be a familiar face at this point: We are happy to say that after her internship with us, Júlia Treščáková is now a THRI research fellow!

Meet THRI Ep. 37: Júlia Treščáková 👤

Júlia holds a BA degree in International Relations from the University of Groningen. She is interested in political developments in the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe alike and has been able to gain firsthand experience in the regions during her travels.

28/07/2026

„The US – Iran war has come at a precarious time for the development of the TRIPP and regional connectivity in the South Caucasus. Due to US involvement, it has turned the TRIPP into a potential target for Iranian retaliatory actions. Even though both Armenia and Azerbaijan aim to maintain a neutral position – balancing economic interests and national security – this is a difficult task. The drone attack in Azerbaijan shows the uncertain nature of alliances in times of conflict and that the reasoning behind certain actions is often not explained easily.“ 🇦🇲🇦🇿

Has the US-Iran war turned the TRIPP into a strategic liability? Why has Nakhchivan become the first flashpoint in the South Caucasus? And can Armenia and Azerbaijan remain neutral while regional tensions escalate?

Read the full article by Fien Kroon here: https://hagueresearch.org/between-the-tripp-and-conflict-armenia-and-azerbaijan-caught-in-the-middle/

16/07/2026

You might have already spotted one of her publications: Today, we’re excited to announce that Amy Delis has joined THRI as a research fellow! But who is she? 🎊

Meet THRI Ep. 36: Amy Delis 👤

Amy holds a Master’s degree in Transnational Governance from the European University Institute, where she specialised in global security challenges and transnational democratic practices and values. Next to her studies, she was a trainee at the EEAS working at the division of Information Integrity and Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference and has contributed to various research projects on democratic participation and resilience. Her research focuses on societal resilience, elections, and hybrid threats.

10/07/2026

„President von der Leyen made a clear commitment in her political guidelines: young people must be able to use their voice actively. Europe needs young people’s creativity and perspective to tackle the challenges ahead. My objective is to further contribute to integrating young people’s perspectives, needs, and rights into all EU policies, programmes and decision-making processes. I want to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes across generations.“ 🇪🇺

We feel very fortunate to say that last month, our THRI research fellow Oksana Baitala was able to interview Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport. Their conversation explored key EU policy priorities, including the future of Erasmus+, intergenerational fairness, youth participation in decision-making, talent mobility, and the challenges and opportunities facing the next generation.

A big thank you to Commissioner Micallef for his time and for sharing his valuable insights on the EU's commitment to empowering young people, strengthening cultural cooperation, and supporting resilience, democratic values, and European integration across the Eastern Neighbourhood, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the South Caucasus!

Find the full interview on our website: https://hagueresearch.org/interview-with-mr-glenn-micallef/

09/07/2026

„Over the years, I have become increasingly convinced that money is the key factor in many people’s and organisations’ decisions to work for Russia. I think the Kremlin understands this very well. I often quote one leaked document from the Presidential Administration in which Russian officials are essentially complaining that nowadays “no one wants to work for Russia for free.” 💻🇷🇺

A few weeks back, our THRI research fellow Amy Delis spoke with Eginhards Volans, Senior Analyst at The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) and one of the authors of the Hybrid CoE Handbook on Non-state Actors in Russian hybrid operations. Hybrid CoE is a network in which 35 countries – all EU member states or NATO allies – come together to build expertise and capacities to address hybrid threats. Throughout their conversation, they touched on how Russia leverages local non-state actors, financial networks, and societal vulnerabilities to influence elections, and on why a whole-of-society approach is essential for building resilience against hybrid threats.

Find the full interview here: https://hagueresearch.org/interview-with-eginhards-volans-russian-hybrid-threats-and-non-state-actors/

08/07/2026

„Externally, Armenia is attracting increased attention from Western partners due to its geographic position and political system. This creates opportunities for economic and political support but also requires careful management of competing external interests. Armenia could use this interest as leverage in choosing allies, but that leverage will only matter if the election produces a government stable enough to manage the process carefully. (…) Armenia’s election may change political leadership, but it is unlikely to alter the deeper reality that domestic politics are increasingly shaped by regional power competition rather than internal political vision.“ 🇦🇲

Why did Armenia's 2026 parliamentary election offer voters such limited political choice? How have regional security pressures reshaped political competition and public debate in Armenia? And what does its growing engagement with Western partners mean for its future foreign policy and regional position?

Access the full article by Julia Treščáková here: https://hagueresearch.org/armenias-election-and-the-politics-of-limited-choice/

08/07/2026

„President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly emphasised that Kazakhstan sees Europe not only as a key economic partner but also as an important partner in promoting sustainable development, technological modernization, and global stability. The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union remains the cornerstone of our bilateral architecture, and as we mark its tenth anniversary, we are entering what I would call a “delivery phase” in our relationship.“ 🇰🇿

Recently, our very own THRI Executive Board member Dr. Agha Bayramov had the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as well as Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), H.E. Mr. Akan Rakhmetullin. They covered quite a lot of points together, ranging from Kazakhstan-EU and Kazakhstan-Netherlands relations to the “New Kazakhstan“ initiative to advice he would give to European policymakers and aspiring diplomats.

We would like to once again thank the Ambassador for taking the time to share his insights!

Check out the interview on our website: https://hagueresearch.org/interview-with-h-e-ambassador-akan-rakhmetullin/

23/06/2026

We’re officially nearing the final stretch… 🏁

Applications for our 2026 THRI Summer School „Energy Security and the Geopolitics of Critical Raw Materials in Global Energy Corridors“ are open for two more weeks!

Interested? Head to our website now for more information, submit your documents before 7 July at 23:59 CET, and join us in August!

Link: https://hagueresearch.org/summerwinter-school/

22/06/2026

„The Caspian Sea region has benefited of a long period of political stability and security, a condition that has allowed to attract financial investments, political support and cooperation from international partners aimed at developing trade and energy projects. However, the Caspian basin could become a north-south corridor of goods transhipment between Russia and Iran that, given the current scenario of conflict in Middle East, could contribute to spreading a potentially dangerous condition of growing instability negatively affecting the concrete feasibility of these transport corridors.“ 🌍

How is the Middle Corridor evolving beyond its traditional Kazakhstan-centred route? Can the growing involvement of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan transform the Middle Corridor into a more effective East-West trade gateway? And why is the Middle Corridor emerging as the most viable connectivity route between Asia and Europe amid growing instability in the Middle East?

Check out the full article by Dr. Fabio Indeo here: https://hagueresearch.org/middle-corridors-implementation-in-the-regional-connectivity-architecture/

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