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Netanyahu considering seizing all of Gaza strip

Netanyahu considering seizing all of Gaza strip

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is contemplating a complete military takeover of Gaza for the first time in two decades, media reported, and was to meet senior security officials on Tuesday 5 August to finalize a new strategy in the 22-month war. It was unclear, however, whether Netanyahu was foreseeing a prolonged occupation or a short-term operation aimed at dismantling Hamas and freeing Israeli hostages. Mediation between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has collapsed despite intense international pressure for a ceasefire to ease hunger and appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
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Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign peace memorandum in Washington

Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign peace memorandum in Washington

Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding in Washington on Friday 8 August, committing to the pursuit of peace, according to regional sources who spoke to Middle East Eye (MEE). The move commits the two countries to a future peace deal amid increasing US influence in the South Caucasus. The sources said that US President Donald Trump will host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House for the signing ceremony.
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Trump aims to bring Azerbaijan, Central Asian nations into Abraham Accords

Trump aims to bring Azerbaijan, Central Asian nations into Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump's administration is actively discussing with Azerbaijan the possibility of bringing that nation and some Central Asian allies into the Abraham Accords, hoping to deepen their existing ties with Israel, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter who spoke to Reuters. As part of the Abraham Accords, inked in 2020 and 2021 during Trump's first term in office, four Muslim-majority countries agreed to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel after U.S. mediation.
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China dabbles in Horn of Africa but its ability to bring peace to the region is minimal

China dabbles in Horn of Africa but its ability to bring peace to the region is minimal

Beijing’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Xue Bing, told a regional conference attended by eight governments from the region that ‘all parties should engage in dialogue’ to achieve common prosperity. In the meeting China reaffirmed its support for peaceful development in the Horn of Africa, saying it would “actively engage” in regional initiatives to promote the concept. But analysts and observers are very skeptical. Whilst China might dabble with the region and its many problems, it ability to impact the situation, and particularly contribute to resolving the conflicts that plague the region is minimal. In his speech at the Kampala Conference, Xue said Beijing would offer military assistance and training, as well as helping to develop the region’s infrastructure and boosting trade. “The world today faces overlapping risks and challenges that threaten peace and development in the Horn of Africa, and all parties should engage in dialogue and cooperation to maintain universal security and achieve common prosperity,” Xue told the event, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Xue outlined further areas of cooperation, including counterterrorism and landmine eradication, while stressing China’s support for “African-led solutions” through platforms such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.

Focus on the South Caucasus

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Opinion
Abu Dhabi: What Next for Armenia and Azerbaijan?

Abu Dhabi: What Next for Armenia and Azerbaijan?

Depending on whom you ask, last week’s meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Abu Dhabi was either a historic development or simply another routine step in the still-fragile peace process. In an interview with Slovak media prior to the talks last week, Azerbaijani presidential advisor Hikmet Hajiyev even claimed the conflict between the sides is now over. Both sides believed that they were now the closest to formalising a peace treaty than at any time before.
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Opinion
Peace Has Never Been This Close Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Peace Has Never Been This Close Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

After a long hiatus following the Brussels summit facilitated by Charles Michel, then President of the European Council, in July 2023, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met on July 10, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to advance their peace process. Although they had met on several occasions over the past two years, those encounters took place on the sidelines of international gatherings, with substantive negotiations typically conducted by official representatives behind closed doors. The Abu Dhabi meeting was particularly significant as it marked the first bilateral summit in recent years organized directly by the two sides, without the mediation of a major power.

Monday Commentary

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Monday Commentary
The world is in a mess, but it is not the time to despair or give up

The world is in a mess, but it is not the time to despair or give up

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is the world’s most senior civil servant. His words, especially in the last year, have been tense, terse and delivered with a sense of urgency, as he tries to convey to world statesmen, and the world public, the need for urgent, large-scale action to deal with the global problems that seem to be overwhelming the world body. The challenges are enormous, and the response, if it is to be effective, has to be proportionate in size and scope. 
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LINKS Europe holds expert conference in The Hague on political transition in the South Caucasus

LINKS Europe holds expert conference in The Hague on political transition in the South Caucasus

A conference organised in The Hague by LINKS Europe Foundation brought together experts and activists from the South Caucasus, the European Union and beyond to discuss the current state of political transition in the region. The gathering gave particular attention to the European Union's evolving role in the region amidst rapidly changing domestic and regional dynamics as well as Türkiye's influence as a regional power.
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Opinion
Opinion: Wounds and Empathy in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Opinion: Wounds and Empathy in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Upon visiting Karabakh in 1994, there were two possible routes for my return to Yerevan. The first was the same way I arrived by military helicopter, and the second was by road. With no highway in place at the time, that would take longer and prove more challenging. Even if the helicopter on the way to Karabakh had to perform an evasive manoeuvre when the pilot was informed of Azerbaijani activity in the area, it was by far the quickest and made the journey in under 45 minutes rather than an estimated 12 hours by road. I had spent less than three hours in Yerevan upon arrival from London and over a week in Karabakh. A few days would barely be enough for meetings with Vazgen Sargsyan in Yerevan and the Locum Tenens Catholicos in Etchmiadzin. I also had to meet Seta Melkonian, recently widowed wife of Monte, and two local journalists reporting on the conflict.
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Finnish President of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly in trouble after meeting Russian representative

Finnish President of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly in trouble after meeting Russian representative

The President of the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, Finnish MP Pia Kauma (NCP), met with a Russian representative during the annual meeting of the organisation’s Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan drawing fire for violating the EU policy of isolating Russia after the invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
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Editorial
Georgia in limbo

Georgia in limbo

The resignation of three key figures in the Georgian leadership, who had direct access to Georgia’s de facto leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, leaves Prime Minister Irakli Kobahidze vulnerable and exposed. The Georgian political crises that started with the elections held in October 2024 which the opposition, and most of the world, considered flawed, is now in its eight month. In the meantime a large number of opposition activists and leaders have been jailed. Kobahidze and his government believed that the opposition efforts will fizzle out. They have not. Now Kobahidze and his inner circle look increasingly tired and embattled. Georgia has been in limbo for months. Young people are getting worried about their future. The crises is entering a new phase.
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Opinion
Armenia and Azerbaijan Dialogue in the context of the European Political Community

Armenia and Azerbaijan Dialogue in the context of the European Political Community

The latest European Political Community summit held in Tirana in May this year, featured Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev at a time when Baku’s period of bad blood with Brussels seems to be over and Europe once again is viewed as a constructive partner. It is not a coincidence that Aliyev briefly met Pashinyan in Tirana for the first time in months and even had a seemingly friendly conversation with French President Macron despite the two countries’ intense feud.

Focus on Central Asia

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Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand

Landmark EU - Central Asia summit held in Samarkand

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa travelled to Uzbekistan to participate in a landmark EU–Central Asia summit. Held on 3–4 April, the event brings together EU leaders with the heads of state and government of the five Central Asian republics. Alongsidei the host, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the summit was also attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
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Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight

Great power interest in Central Asia putting Uzbekistan in the spotlight

In recent times, Central Asia’s most populous nation has become the centre of attention for great powers, underscored by high level diplomatic contacts with the United States, the hosting of a regional summit with the leadership of the European Union and a high profile visit by hundreds of Russian officials and executives who participated in a trade fair in Tashkent. Western interest centres on Uzbekistan’s abundant reserves of critical minerals and a desire to develop clean energy  sources, including nuclear power. Russia, along with China, has broader trade interests, including developing manufacturing capacity.

Focus on NGOs

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LINKS Europe hosts inaugural Co-Chairs meeting of the Thematic Group on Peace and Security

LINKS Europe hosts inaugural Co-Chairs meeting of the Thematic Group on Peace and Security

The inaugural meeting of the two co-chairs of the thematic group on Peace and Security was hosted in The Hague by LINKS Europe in parallel with the Armenia-Azerbaijan Expert Political Dialogue Platform. During the meeting held on 2 April and chaired by LINKS Europe, Leonid Nersissian (Armenia) and Murad Muradov (Azerbaijan) discussed the work plan for the next nine months.
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 Armenians and Azerbaijanis discuss how to shape a dialogue best suited for today's realities as LINKS Europe kicks off new initiative

Armenians and Azerbaijanis discuss how to shape a dialogue best suited for today's realities as LINKS Europe kicks off new initiative

LINKS Europe held its first event within the recently launched EU4Peace III programme in Tbilisi on Thursday 30 January. Armenian and Azerbaijani participants engaged in an open and constructive discussion on how to shape a dialogue best suited to today's realities. As part of the initiative, LINKS Europe will shortly launch five thematic groups: The thematic groups, with Armenian and Azerbaijani participants will discuss the following topics: (1) Climate Change & the Green Economy; (2) Peace & Security; (3) Governance; (4) Regional Connectivity; (5) Gender and Diversity . On 2nd April, at a meeting in The Hague, LINKS Europe will launch the Armenia-Azerbaijan Expert Political Dialogue Platform. The platform is a parallel, mutually reenforcing initiative bringing together experienced Armenian and Azerbaijani experts and stakeholders. It is expected that one of the main tasks of the platform in 2025 will be to support the thematic groups, particularly in the phase of preparation of their reports. The EU4Peace III action, supported and funded by the European Union, aims to contribute to the sustainable normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. By broadening the engagement of social groups, the initiative aims to link political processes to wider societal transformation.
LINKS Europe

commonspace.eu is an activity of LINKS Europe, an independent foundation based in The Hague, The Netherlands. We focus on issues related to European peace and security, Europe's neighbouring regions, including Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia; North Africa and the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. LINKS Europe is committed to contributing to a better future by increasing understanding of complex foreign policy issues, by promoting dialogue and confidence-building as tools for helping to resolve conflict, and by engaging citizens in the process of building peace and security on the basis of solidarity and mutual respect. Through commonspace.eu, we aim to provide insights and analysis on different topics in our area of interest and a platform for diverse opinions.

Read LINKS Europe's work programme for the two-year period 2024-2025 here