Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● The official publication of the U.S. federal government, the Federal Register, has published a memorandum on the suspension of Amendment 907 to the “Freedom Support Act.” It was signed by Donald Trump on August 8 during the historic summit in Washington with the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia. The memorandum states that this decision was necessary:

• • To support U.S. and coalition partners’ efforts in combating international terrorism,
• • Important for the security of Azerbaijan’s borders,
• • Will not hinder negotiations for a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
• • Will not be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.

Amendment 907 was adopted in 1992 and significantly restricted military and economic ties between the U.S. and Azerbaijan. It came during the first Karabakh war and was introduced as a reaction to Azerbaijan’s blockade of Armenia. For many years, U.S. presidents temporarily suspended this amendment. It was reinstated by the administration of former President Joe Biden.

● “The historic declaration of intent for peace between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia could only have been signed under Donald Trump’s administration, because only he acts as a peacemaker and negotiator without pursuing ideological goals,” said Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the UK, Elin Suleymanov, in an interview with GB News. According to him, “All former White House leaders who tried to mediate in resolving the South Caucasus situation never had ending the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia as their main goal. Unlike them, Trump’s team is focused on real results.”

● Blogger Ilhami Nasibov, who posed as the administrator of the Kanal-21 social media page and as a journalist, has been arrested for extorting money from people by threatening to spread damaging information about them. He was placed in pre-trial detention for four months.

● Since the beginning of this year, Azerbaijan’s population has increased by 16,833 people, or 0.2%, reaching 10,241,722 as of July 1. According to the State Statistics Committee, 54.4% of the population lives in cities, with men and women making up 49.8% and 50.2% of the population respectively.

● “In the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from Armenian occupation—in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur—more than 50,000 people now live, including former internally displaced persons as well as those working on regional development projects. A total of 5,420 resettled persons have been provided with jobs, of whom 422 became farmers. Another 249 have received training in professions that meet labor market demands. Currently, work is underway to employ another 621 resettled persons,” officials from the State Employment Agency told journalists during a media tour of small farming enterprises established in Lachin District under the self-employment program.

● The national festival of nomadic culture “Yaylag” has concluded in the Goygol District. Various folklore groups performed concerts of national music and dance for two days. Thousands of families from Turkic-speaking countries, along with Azerbaijani residents, attended as spectators and participants, according to local media. Below is a photo report from Report.

● Today, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian begins a two-day visit to Armenia. Reports from Tehran say the purpose of the visit is to strengthen bilateral relations and sign a number of documents. As part of the visit, an Armenia-Iran business forum will also take place.

● On the eve of Pezeshkian’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote an article about the historical ties between the two countries, calling them “natural allies.” In the article, he stressed that the geopolitical outlook of the region gives strategic importance to relations between Tehran and Yerevan. “Iran considers it its duty to support the establishment of peace and stability in the region. The implementation of any projects in the region is only possible with respect for territorial integrity, the legitimate rights and mutual interests of all countries, as well as by preventing interference by third countries and external forces under any pretext,” Araghchi wrote.

The issue of “non-interference by third countries” was actively discussed last week by the authorities of Iran and Armenia. Concerns in Tehran arose following the August 8 decision in Washington by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to unblock a road near Iran’s border with U.S. involvement. This route, through Armenian territory, is meant to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave. It has already been dubbed the “Trump Route” (Trump route for international peace and prosperity — TRIPP), named after the mediator. Armenia’s prime minister and foreign minister managed to convince their Iranian counterparts that the implementation of this project “does not mean a U.S. security presence in the region.”

In his article, Iran’s foreign minister proposed that Armenia increase trade through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). “This important international corridor, involving thirteen countries, links Iran’s southern ports with Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, and Eastern European countries, cutting transportation costs by 30% and halving delivery times,” Araghchi wrote. This proposal aligns with the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, which seeks to expand transport links with neighboring countries while maintaining jurisdiction over its own roads. According to Armenia’s prime minister, this very principle forms the basis of the “Trump Route.”

● The agreements reached between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan under U.S. mediation provoked a mixed reaction in Russia. After a long pause, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that “the current stage of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization began with Russia’s direct assistance and central role.”

● A similar position was voiced by Viktor Vodolatsky, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, who declared that the initialing of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was a “shared victory” in which Russia played a key role.

“The most important thing is to make sure the Anglo-Saxons cannot create a flashpoint in the South Caucasus, which is what they are aiming for. They have always wanted to pit the Caucasus against Russia. God forbid they start implementing their cunning plan through influencing the peace process now unfolding between Armenia and Azerbaijan, creating a source of conflict or tension there. That’s why Russia is monitoring this, and naturally, the sovereignty and security of our state is our president’s priority. When it comes to the South Caucasus republics, we need to act more firmly and decisively,” Vodolatsky told TASS.

● Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is expected to visit Yerevan this week. He said he would like to discuss with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan “some nuances regarding the opening of communications in the Caucasus […] to protect Russia’s interests in the region.” In particular, he noted “a regulatory act by the Armenian government that contradicts the principles of the EAEU” (the Russian-led economic union). “Moscow supports Armenia’s plans to create a transport link with Azerbaijan under the name ‘Trump Route,’ if Yerevan believes that signing the relevant declaration in Washington provides greater security guarantees. We support peace processes in the South Caucasus,” Overchuk said.

● Political analyst Robert Gevondyan commented: “I hope Pashinyan will not receive Overchuk, since the Russian deputy prime minister is not of a sufficient rank to discuss such issues. In terms of international etiquette, it would be more appropriate if the president of Russia, or at least the prime minister, came to discuss these matters with Armenia’s prime minister.” If Pashinyan does meet with Overchuk, Gevondyan hopes he will not allow the Russian deputy PM to dictate terms about Armenian government decisions. “If any vital issue in Armenia contradicts EAEU law, then it would be better to prepare to send the EAEU to hell. Especially since this structure has brought nothing good to our country,” Gevondyan wrote.

● On August 23, a protest will take place in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, demanding the withdrawal of the Russian military base stationed there. The action was announced by “For the Republic” party leader Arman Babajanyan on his Facebook page. “Armenia’s security cannot be built on the basis of a foreign state. An important step in our agenda is bidding farewell to Russia’s military presence. The 102nd military base represents a threat to Armenia’s independence and security. True security for the country comes from its own armed forces,” Babajanyan wrote.

● “The EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) will continue its work, with possible changes to its mandate to be discussed between Yerevan and Brussels. The mission’s mandate is to monitor and report on the situation on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border,” said EU foreign affairs and security spokesperson Anita Hipper.

● Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan stated that Armenia is becoming a strategic partner of the United States in the semiconductor industry. This became possible thanks to a memorandum on innovation partnership in artificial intelligence signed between the governments of Armenia and the U.S. in Washington. According to Hayrapetyan, in this field Armenia will gain exceptional opportunities, including simplified and accelerated mechanisms for exporting its products and access to the latest technologies, despite being a member of the EAEU.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan issued an apology on social media for using inappropriate language toward the church and clergy. “The Anti-Corruption Commission recorded a violation of rules of conduct in my speech. Although I do not fully agree with some of the assessments, I apologize to all of you. In the agenda of spiritual renewal, I must acknowledge my own shortcomings and better manage my emotions,” Pashinyan wrote.

The Anti-Corruption Commission opened a case after Pashinyan’s controversial Facebook posts. Many initially thought the prime minister’s page had been hacked, as the tone and language of the posts were unusually harsh. The most discussed post, published on May 30, read: “Your Excellency, keep f***ing your uncle’s wife. What business do you have with me?” It remains unclear which clergyman Pashinyan was addressing. On August 14, the commission ruled that although the post was published as a response to criticism, the prime minister used language that had a “crude and obscene undertone.”

The conflict between the prime minister and the church escalated this summer, after Pashinyan accused Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II of breaking his vow of celibacy and demanded his resignation.

Photo: The 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri

● The Prosecutor’s Office has charged two detained activists, Tornike Toshkhua and Mindia Shervashidze, with participating in group violence during the July 31 rally. Witnesses claim the clash occurred after former Georgian national football player Beka Gotsiridze, a supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party, appeared on Rustaveli Avenue and insulted protesters, which sparked the conflict. The Droa party stated that this was a “provocation orchestrated by the regime as an act of political revenge against participants of the pro-European protests” (pictured).

● More than 30 human rights and media organizations have expressed solidarity with Georgian NGOs accused by Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau of violating the “foreign agents” law. In a joint written statement they said: “You are independent Georgian organizations serving only the Georgian people. Your mission—to protect the rights of women, children, workers, people with disabilities, internally displaced persons, and all the oppressed—is vital for the existence of a democratic society. Attacks on independent NGOs and media are attacks on the foundations of democracy in the country. Your work is crucial to protecting Georgia’s free, democratic, and European future.”

● “The meeting of the U.S. and Russian presidents in Alaska showed that the war in Ukraine is in fact a war between Russia and the West, and external forces tried to draw Georgia into this confrontation,” wrote Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on social media. “If the U.S. president has the ability to influence the achievement of peace, it directly confirms that the conflict has escalated into a war between Russia and the West. This also explains why in 2022, unlike Ukraine, war did not start in Georgia—because patriots were in power in the country, not puppets as in 2008 (when the Georgia-Russia war over South Ossetia broke out),” Papuashvili wrote.

● In the village of Boni on the outskirts of Batumi, a teenager was hit by a train. Preliminary reports say the teenager sustained a severe leg injury requiring amputation.

● The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be held in Tbilisi on December 13. For this purpose, 8,164,280 lari (about $2.8 million) will be allocated from the government’s reserve fund.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 11-15 August, 2025