Episode #47 - October 2022

As with many other wars and conflicts that grew out of the collapse of the Soviet Union, there is a much deeper history to what is going on between Azerbaijan and Armenia. You have to understand the historical context to understand why these two countries cannot get together and come to a lasting agreement over their border and what to do with Nagorno Karabakh. With a breaking of the ceasefire last month, and at least 300 dead, this region continues to see instability that has the potential to flare up again and again. For this episode we talk with Mary Glantz, a former US Foreign Service Officer and a current Senior Advisor to the Russian and European Center at the US Institute of Peace, about the intractable nature of this conflict. On a rare positive note, there is hope that a breakthrough in the peace process is closer than ever and there is a high likelihood that the United States could help push this over the finish line. Listen today to help better understand the drivers of this conflict and what the what is happening here!

Dr. Mary Glantz was a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service and was detailed to USIP as a State Department fellow prior to her retirement in 2022.

Most of her 20-year career as a diplomat has focused on Russia, the former Soviet Union, and other countries of Europe and Eurasia. Previous overseas postings include Baku, Jerusalem, Estonia, and Kosovo. Dr. Glantz also has served as a Russia analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research as well as on the Russia and Poland desks at the State Department. Prior to joining the State Department, she worked as an intern for the Special Adviser for Central and Eastern European Affairs to the Secretary General of NATO, serving in Moscow, Russia and Vilnius, Lithuania.

Dr. Glantz received her bachelor’s in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her master’s in post-Soviet studies from the University of London’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies, and a doctorate from Temple University with a specialization in military and diplomatic history. She recently completed a certificate in data science at Montgomery College.

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