Vasif Talibov, the leader of Azerbaijan's Naxcivan region, abruptly resigned from the position, citing health reasons, effectively ending his rule of the nominally autonomous exclave after 27 years, Eurasianet reported Dec. 21. Why It Matters: It is still unclear who will succeed Talibov and under what procedure, but it will be someone similarly loyal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who will likely strive to reverse the peculiarities of Talibov's rule of the region and make life in the exclave more like life in the rest of Azerbaijan. This increased alignment will likely increase Azerbaijan's control over the exclave, which will enable the federal government to use the region to more effectively threaten renewed conflict with Armenia. The move also prompted speculation that Azerbaijan could revoke the region's autonomous status, though there is no evidence that such a process is formally underway.