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Omer Niazi is the MEI Department of State Black Sea Title VIII Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute. He is also a Policy Fellow at the Fund for Constitutional Government, a Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Graduate Researcher at the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Omer is the Founder and Chair of the Council on International Law, Order, and Security, a US-based policy research think tank. With over eight years of experience in both the public and private sectors, his work primarily focuses on international security, conflict resolution, and good governance.
Omer has previously conducted research with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), among others, on matters relevant to international security, conflict resolution, and good governance. He also worked with the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation on initiatives aimed at countering the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), with a specific focus on nuclear non-proliferation and chemical security.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Master’s in Management from UNINETTUNO University. Omer’s views have been published by AEI, ISW, CIPE, The National Interest, and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School.
As a Title VIII Black Sea Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, his research primarily focuses on the balance of power, Russian influence, and US foreign policy in the South Caucasus region.
Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks: The status quo and an emerging diplomatic breakthrough
Azerbaijan’s takeover of Karabakh in September 2023, while a disruptive event, has opened the window for renewed dialogue to peacefully resolve the longstanding tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. While the ongoing negotiations are unlikely to lead to a comprehensive peace deal in the near term, they could alter the strategic calculus of key actors in the region. The most likely and consequential outcome of the talks will be a peace framework agreement that could rebalance the regional status quo, potentially leading to a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
