YEREVAN. – 2011 was a year of stagnation for the South Caucasus and throughout the whole post-Soviet territory, as a result of the deepening social-economic and domestic-political crisis, political scientist at the Eastern Studies Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Skakov told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Crisis phenomena in authoritative institutions are accompanied by the activation of oppositional powers. The situation may come out of control of the authoritative institutions and world players, which are the U.S., Russia, the EU, Turkey, Iran and China,” Skakov said.

He added that presidential elections in the South Ossetia and Abkhazia displayed the wish of societies and political elites in the South Caucasus that they can decide on their further development independently.