 armenia and the west a new vision for the caucasus nov 29 2014 the report offers some innovative thinking about armenia s geopolitical potential and challenges the prevailing views about western involvement in armenia and the caucasus it explicitly ignores armenia s main handicapping factor its leadership and governance problems and lays out a vision for the country s role in the region under a popular clean and independent government testimonials  the report armenia and the west a new vision for the caucasus that followed the multifaceted discussion at the atlantic council on july 2 2014 is both a gratifying result of a comprehensive insight into armenia s foreign and security policy and a creative afterthought to the discussion itself it is also a rare attempt to put armenia s future into strategic perspective which helps it to graduate beyond onedimensional dependence on russia and opens the door for alternative political thinking foreign policy problems and challenges are rightfully linked to better governance and democracy building  rouben shougarian armenia s first ambassador to the us  i have been following the activities of policy forum armenia for some time and find the work of this small but outstanding group of professionals truly impressive pfa s ability to think outside the established norms and clichés its perseverance and its well researched and thorough reports on difficult and hardhitting subjects have always met the highest professional standards their latest report on armenia and the west is no exception one may or may not agree with all its conclusions but the report stands as one of the most thoughtful and possibly consequential works on the subject of armenia s foreign relations  vahan zanoyan author and retired chairman of pfc energy international   policy forum armenia has rendered an invaluable service to scholars and the general public in issuing the report armenia and the west a detailed exploration of the foreign and domestic policies of the newlyindependent caucasian republic these are evaluated in the context of all of armenia s neighboring states with special attention to russia a vital inclusion in the light of the recent ukrainian confrontation the report pulls no punches in its examination of armenia s faltering economy and governance in general and displays total objectivity in its dissection of armenia s problems it is a unique document and mandatory reading for anyone preoccupied with armenian affairs  edward alexander author of a crime of vengeance an armenian struggle for justice and retired us diplomat armenia and the west reports 