Book Review - Houman A. Sadri, Conflict and Cooperation in the South Caucasus Region: From Theory to Policy, Lanham, MA: Lexington Books, 2024.

Policy" by Dr. Houman A. Sadri provides an extensive study on the foreign relations and security issues of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia.He incorporates history and popular international relations theories into a detailed analysis that comprehensively investigates the affairs and events of the South Caucasus states since the fall of the Soviet Union.By examining the region through regional and global power dynamics, Sadri highlights the feuds and partnerships within the region and its critical importance.Chapter 1 begins by exploring the South Caucasus territory's strategic location, demographics, historical context, and sovereignty following the collapse of the Soviet Union.This new-found security of the Caucasus region caused a major global rivalry between Russia (i.e., the Commonwealth of Independent States and Collective Security Treaty Organization) and the West (i.e., the United States, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe).The author also mentions the regional rivalry between Iran and Turkey.The book even explains the three international relations (IR) perspectives: Realism, Clash of Civilization, and Geopolitics and shows how these theories are relevant to the political affairs of the South Caucasus states.Chapter 2 examines Azerbaijan's geography and history from the pre-Soviet era to its independence in 1991.The book highlights factors that led up to the first Nagorno-Karabakh War and Azerbaijan's involvement in the conflict.Despite experiencing a regional war, the country's natural resources strongly contributed to its economic military strength and economic growth.