May 21, 2021, Tsaghkadzor- Director of China-Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research, Dr. Mher Sahakyan introduced his research on China’s raising role in South Caucasus, Iran and Turkey at Yerevan School of Political Studies. As he mentioned, South Caucasus countries and their neighbors are strongly interested in the Belt and Road Initiative, time is working for Beijing and, in the near future, China’s growing economic presence will also give it greater political influence.

He also examined Sino-Turkish competing and collaborative interests and their approaches to their Beijing’s Silk Road Economic Belt and Ankara’s Middle Corridor Initiative and how Turkey might pivot eastward – or westward.

As Mher Sahakyan also mentioned, Tehran and Beijing must tread carefully if they want to expand economic and geopolitical cooperation, given the numerous overlapping spheres of interest in a volatile area of the world, US pressure and the impact of Covid-19.

The presentation was followed by a discussion on both the topic of research and the methods used by Dr. Sahakyan.

The Yerevan School of Political Studies is an institute with no party affiliation whose aim is to promote and disseminate democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
In addition to implementing many programmes, from its very start YSPS has been initiating numerous events aimed at the expert and wider public dealing with various topics by organizing international and national conferences, regional and local seminars, lectures, round tables, debates, etc. YSPS carries out activities designed to directly involve citizens and their organizations in policy-making including schemes supporting the democratization process in Armenia.