As Armenia and Azerbaijan move toward normalization, why is Baku simultaneously intensifying its campaign around Armenian history and cultural heritage? In this episode of “State of Play”, Maria Titizian speaks with Dr. Nerses Kopalyan about Azerbaijan’s strategy of managed antagonization, the revival of the Caucasian Albanian narrative, and what these efforts reveal about the competition for strategic depth and influence in Washington D.C. Topics discussed: The revival of the Caucasian Albanian narrative and cultural erasure The competition for strategic depth between Armenia and Azerbaijan Armenia’s “Christian capital” and “peace capital” in Washington Why Baku may seek to undermine Armenia’s peace narrative The difference between negative and positive peace Armenia’s changing security environment and deterrence capabilities The implementation of TRIPP and its role in the wider Trans-Caspian project What to watch for as the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process develops Follow EVN Report for independent journalism, analysis and storytelling from Armenia. www.evnreport.com Article by Nerses Kopalyan: https://evnreport.com/statecraft-governance/azerbaijans-identity-crisis-and-the-political-need-for-culture-wars/