Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from 18-22 March, 2024

● The Georgian national football team emerged victorious with a score of 2-0 against Luxembourg in the semi-finals of the playoffs of the 2024 European Championship qualifying tournament. The final is slated for March 26 in Tbilisi, where the Georgian team will face off against the Greek team.

● A group of Georgians residing abroad has petitioned the parliament to streamline the process of regaining Georgian citizenship for expatriates. Specifically, they propose exempting them from the mandatory Georgian language proficiency exam in such cases. Additionally, they advocate for allowing dual citizenship as a standard practice for them, a departure from the current Georgian legislation which permits it only in exceptional circumstances.

● Six restaurants and cafes in Batumi were penalized for not having menus and failing to communicate with customers in Georgian. All of the fined establishments exclusively utilized Russian.

● In Rustavi, an unprecedented sports complex has been inaugurated, offering facilities for practicing nearly every sport imaginable. The project received financial backing of approximately $9 million from the Asian Development Bank.

● The President bestowed the Order of Honor upon the reigning UFC champion, Ilya Topuria. Salome Zurabishvili personally conferred the award during a ceremony held at the presidential palace.

● The government plans to implement social housing initiatives for Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh who require special assistance.

● Member of Parliament from the “I Have the Honor” bloc, Anna Mkrtchyan, stated that the territories demanded by Azerbaijan belong to Armenia. She emphasized that neither Prime Minister Pashinyan nor any official body has the authority to unilaterally decide on the transfer of villages in Tavush or the withdrawal of troops.

● During the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Nikol Pashinyan held meetings with the EU’s leadership and the President of France.

● Armenia has commenced events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the renowned chansonnier Charles Aznavour, as depicted in the image.

● Henrikh Mkhitaryan, former captain of the Armenian national team, expressed that he has no plans to pursue a coaching career after retiring from sports. However, he indicated openness to the prospect of working as a sports director.

● The Foreign Minister addressed the nuclear energy summit in Brussels, discussing Azerbaijan’s use of nuclear technologies, mine threat elimination in Karabakh, and priorities for hosting COP29 in Baku.

● Baku urged Paris to refrain from interfering in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs, responding to accusations by the French Prime Minister regarding Azerbaijani territorial occupation. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry criticized France for not opposing Armenian aggression and occupation over nearly 30 years but now accusing Azerbaijan without grounds.

● Benefits for internally displaced persons will be canceled within three years once they are offered conditions to return to their original residences. Plans are set to return 20 thousand internally displaced persons to 5 cities and 15 villages by year-end.

● In the photo: Residents of Baku Zoo celebrated the Novruz holiday:

● Novruz holiday is being celebrated in Azerbaijan. Check out the photo report covering today’s festivities in Baku on JAMnews.

● “Such statements during the current peace negotiation atmosphere are destructive,” remarked the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Euronest PA in response to the Armenian Parliament Speaker’s remarks at the assembly’s plenary session. Alen Simonyan accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh and destroying Armenian heritage. Tahir Mirkishili emphasized that Azerbaijan has never engaged in ethnic cleansing, and Armenians still reside in Karabakh.

● “Azerbaijan holds a negative stance toward the EU mission’s operations in Armenia, raising concerns about its effectiveness. This decision was made unilaterally by Yerevan,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov regarding the Armenian parliament’s decision to grant diplomatic status to the EU observation mission in Armenia.

● Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov is traveling to Brussels to attend the nuclear energy summit.

● Azerbaijani military personnel will participate in a military parade in Pakistan scheduled for March 23.

● Azerbaijan will participate in the 101st meeting of the CIS Economic Council on March 9 in Moscow.

● Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia totaled $591.254 million in January-February, reflecting a 22.36% decrease compared to the previous year, as reported by the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

● “The withdrawal of lawsuits against Baku can only occur through mutual agreement,” stated Nikol Pashinyan.

● The parliamentary session grew tense, witnessing another verbal clash between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and an opposition MP, son of former president Levon Kocharyan. “Are you the prime minister of this country or an Azerbaijani real estate agent?” queried the deputy, directing his remarks at the head of government. In response, the Prime Minister emphasized the term “head of government” and addressed the deputy’s father several times. “I advise the young son of the former head of state to conduct himself properly,” remarked Pashinyan.

● Nikol Pashinyan embarked on a working visit to Brussels, where he will participate in the Nuclear Energy Summit on March 21, along with scheduled bilateral meetings.

● Forced migrants from Karabakh staged a rally at Freedom Square in Yerevan, demanding resolution to their housing issues. Specifically, they seek an allocation of 5 million drams (approximately $12,500) per internally displaced person for real estate purchases.

● The announcement regarding the cessation of services for Russian Mir bank cards in Armenia from March 30 requires further clarification, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

● The number of crimes against minors has more than doubled. In 2023, the Investigative Committee of Armenia investigated 1,159 criminal cases related to such offenses, compared to 545 cases the previous year.

● The Georgian government has allocated an additional 7,500,000 lari (approximately $2,800,000) for the restoration and conservation of the famous ancient Gelati monastery complex near Kutaisi. The funds were allocated from the regional fund and transferred to the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which will then transfer them to the Georgian Orthodox Church.

● “Even the new H 145 rescue helicopter recently provided to Georgia cannot fly at night and, accordingly, would not have been able to participate in the operation to rescue people during the landslide in Shovi last August,” stated Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri during his speech in parliament. The tragedy in the resort of Shovi resulted in the loss of more than 30 lives, and the public continues to criticize the authorities for delaying the rescue operation.

● During a ministerial session in parliament, the Minister of Internal Affairs disclosed that most crimes in Georgia are drug-related, with theft ranking second. He also noted that 93.6% of drug-related crimes were solved, marking a 21% increase from the previous year.

● The Georgian delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly failed to secure enough votes to bring its resolution for discussion. The resolution aimed to support the territorial integrity of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as their prospects for joining the European Union. It also called for the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from occupied territories and an immediate cessation of military operations in Ukraine. The majority leader in the Georgian parliament attributed the failure to gather enough votes to opposition deputies and the Ukrainian delegation’s refusal to support the resolution. However, the opposition National Movement accused the authorities of spreading misinformation.

● The Anti-Occupation Movement of Georgia reported the active construction of a Russian military naval base in Abkhazia. The movement released a drone video on social media showing construction activity in the port of Ochamchira. They warned that once operational, the base would be a legitimate target for missile fire from Ukraine.

● Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s opposition party, “For Georgia,” pledged to build 15 new metro stations in Tbilisi, including one in the densely populated Didi Digomi area. However, the head of the Tbilisi city transport service dismissed this promise as “absurd.”

● Approximately 33,000 identification cards of Georgian citizens were freely accessible online due to a leak from the telecommunications company Silknet. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.

● The trial of a high-profile case has commenced, involving an individual who advertised on Facebook furniture and appliances from China at significantly discounted prices. The accused received 149,259 lari (about $48,000) from 14 individuals but misappropriated the funds.

● A residential building collapsed on Metekhi street in the old part of Tbilisi. The house was already on the list of emergency buildings, but it had not yet reached its turn for relocation. Fortunately, none of the members of the 14 families living there were killed; one person was injured.

● Tonight, Tbilisi will host the semi-final playoff match of the Euro 2024 selection, with the Georgian national team facing Luxembourg. The match will take place at the Boris Paichadze Dynamo Arena.

● A substantial amount of data has been leaked from the telecommunications company Silknet, the Georgian edition of Radio Liberty reports. Approximately 33,000 citizens’ identity cards were, probably, illicitly disseminated on the internet. The Personal Data Protection Service is investigating the incident on two fronts: assessing compliance with data security measures and determining if there was a breach in reporting the incident to the Personal Data Protection Service.

● “The ruling party took a step back in the country’s democratization process by overriding the president’s veto on amendments to the electoral code,” said Giorgi Sioridze, a member of the Central Election Commission representing the Lelo party. Not only the president but also the opposition and the Venice Commission criticized the bill. The main changes include eliminating the position of deputy chairman of the CEC from the opposition, having CEC members represented by the parliament speaker instead of the president, and allowing the ruling party to approve the CEC chairman with a simple majority vote, albeit only on the second attempt. Read more here

● IMF has recommended that the Georgian authorities enhance the judicial system and anti-corruption service. A preliminary report published after IMF representatives visited the country from March 6-18 also suggests the possibility of resuming the IMF program to support economic reforms in Georgia. The previous program was halted in July last year following changes to the National Bank of Georgia’s operations, which the IMF expressed concerns could upset the country’s political balance.

● NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Georgia and Ukraine will eventually join NATO but emphasized that each country has independent commitments and is at different stages in the accession process. Stoltenberg clarified that the question of their membership in the alliance will be deliberated separately.

● Imprisoned former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, commented on his former colleagues Nika Gvaramia and Nika Melia’s decision to form a new party called “Akhali” (New). Saakashvili expressed his friendship with both individuals and expressed hope that they have assessed the risks involved. He emphasized the importance of opposition unity, stating that ultimately, there is no alternative.

● The parliamentary committee for the protection of human rights and civil integration has a new chairman, Rati Yonatamishvili. His candidacy received support from 83 deputies out of 150.

● Azerbaijan is celebrating the Novruz holiday today and tomorrow, with the country declaring non-working days until March 27 in observance.

● Despite rainy weather, a bonfire was ignited yesterday in Baku’s Old City to mark “Torpag Charshyanbyasi” (Earth Tuesday), the last pre-holiday Tuesday.

● The state highway agency announced that construction of the Toganaly-Kelbajar-Istisu road and the Murovdag tunnel will be completed by 2025-2026.

● Taxi fares in Baku have doubled, attributed to adverse weather conditions and the holiday period.

● According to data from the National Statistics Service of Georgia, in January-February, Georgia imported 524.1 million cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan for approximately $62.6 million, reflecting a 22.3% decrease compared to the same period last year.

● “If the Armenian side refuses to discuss delimitation and demarcation issues with Baku, there will be a new war before the end of the week,” stated Nikol Pashinyan. “Armenia does not desire this. We aim for a border where the line of contact currently stands.”

● “Armenia and Azerbaijan can reconcile differences and achieve lasting peace,” NATO Secretary General remarked in Yerevan following meetings with the Prime Minister and President. More details can be found [here](https://tinyurl.com/yh353c9d).

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Vahagn Khachaturyan extended congratulations to Vladimir Putin on his re-election. Former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan also conveyed their congratulations.

● European observers in Armenia will receive extensive powers and immunity. Parliament plans to ratify the agreement on the mission this week.

● Russian bank cards “Mir” will cease operations in ATMs of most Armenian banks starting from March 30. Only “VTB Armenia” will continue to accept them.

● The Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring reported that the snow cover in Chambarak (Gegharkunik region) has reached a height of 40 cm.

● Heavy rain in Yerevan led to a minor flood, causing traffic disruptions.

● Today, Azerbaijan marks the last pre-holiday Tuesday of Novruz – ‘Torpag Chyarsyambasi’ (Tuesday of the Earth). Unlike the previous three Tuesdays, this one is celebrated particularly grandly.

●  Ilham Aliyev lit the festive fire in Hankendi and congratulated the Azerbaijani people on the Novruz holiday. “I am lighting the festive fire on liberated Karabakh soil for the fourth time. In 2021, the festive fire was lit in Shusha, in 2022 – in Sugovushan, last year – in the village of Talish, and this time – in the city of Hankendi. This is a great happiness.”

● Ilham Aliyev called Vladimir Putin and congratulated him on his victory in the Russian presidential election.

●  The central square in Hankendi has been named Victory Square.

●  A joint briefing of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Missing Persons, and Hostages was held in Baku to announce that human remains had been discovered during construction work in Khojaly:

“They belong to 18 individuals, including 4 minors. All these individuals were buried at least 25 years ago. They were all tortured. The identities of 9 people have now been established. Six of them were residents of Khojaly, three were from Hankendi.”

● The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister met with the senior advisor of the U.S. State Department for Caucasus negotiations. Jehun Bayramov and Louis Bono discussed the agenda and prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United States. The parties also touched upon current issues in the region and the process of normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan.

●  Azerbaijan and NATO are working on harmonizing a new framework document on cooperation. The main goal of the agreement is joint work on adapting the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to NATO standards, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

● Azerbaijan has been recognized as one of the safest countries in the world according to the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which published the annual Global Terrorism Index 2024.

In the ranking, Azerbaijan improved its position by five places, ranking last at 89th with a score of 0. In terms of security, the country is on par with Denmark, South Korea, Finland, and Qatar.

● Official Yerevan has not yet congratulated Vladimir Putin on his victory in the elections. Among others, this has already been done by the heads of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

●  The process of demarcation and delimitation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan “has entered the practical stage.” Nikol Pashinyan said this during a meeting with residents of the border village of Voskepar in the Tavush region. “Our policy is that we should not allow the start of a war. For this reason, we decided that we should proceed with clarifying the border in these areas. And we are doing this not only in the name of the Republic of Armenia, but also for the villages of Voskepar, Kirants, to ensure security,” the prime minister said.

●  NATO’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina, called the visit of the organization’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the South Caucasus historic.

“Regional security, including the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be discussed”, he wrote on X.

● An unknown man threw a stone at one of the windows of the Government House in Yerevan; law enforcement officers took him to the station from the scene.

●  In Armenia, access to sharp objects for teenagers will be restricted by law, following a slew of cases of knife violence involving minors.

In 2022, the country officially recorded 17 crimes involving minors with knives, and in 2023 there were 25 such incidents. The bill will be introduced to the parliament this month

● “Georgia remains one of the Alliance’s most loyal and reliable partners,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Tbilisi.

● “The holding of Russian presidential elections in Georgia’s occupied regions is completely illegal and unacceptable,” Georgia President Salome Zurabishvili said. She called on the international community “to respond appropriately to these actions undermining the country’s sovereignty”.=

● Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority, announced that a bill against LGBT propaganda would be submitted to parliament this week.

“We call on both the UN Development Fund and other donor organizations to sort out what they are actually funding. This is to avoid confusing minority rights with the harmful effects of LGBT propaganda,” he said.

●  Georgia’s Ministry of Economy has initiated an international tender for the design and construction works of Anaklia port maritime infrastructure.

●  Russian activist Maxim Ivantsov was again not allowed to enter Georgia.

“We are not criminals or enemies of the Georgian people. We are human rights defenders, activists and journalists who are fighting against the usurpation of power by a murderous president and his entourage, who unleashed several wars, including one with Georgia. Apparently, the Georgian Dream and the State Security Service of Georgia have chosen that side or are afraid and cannot resist it and be together with the civilized world,” he wrote on FB, accompanying his post with a picture of Putin holding puppets: Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Garibashvili, Irakli Kobakhidze.

● Voting in the Russian presidential elections occurred in 5 polling stations in Armenia. The high turnout necessitated a two-hour extension of the polling station opening hours. According to Russian Ambassador Sergei Kopyrkin, Russians from Georgia also traveled to Armenia to participate in the elections.

● The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan will undertake a working visit to Armenia on March 17-18.

● Testing of 6 analog astronauts for future human flights to Mars has commenced in Armenia. An Armenian fitness trainer is participating in the experiment near the village of Armash. Over 200 scientists from 26 countries are involved in this project.

● Armenia’s potential exit from the CSTO will not be solely based on national interests, according to Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. She emphasized that such decisions should be made according to the country’s actual needs rather than merely “flirting” with the West.

● Today, at the break of dawn, 34 families (comprising 123 individuals) of internally displaced persons relocated to their new permanent homes in Fizuli. Presently, the city is accommodating a total of 596 families (equating to 2,245 individuals).

● The pre-trial detention of Abzas Media’s deputy director, Mahammad Kekalov, has been extended for an additional 3 months. Kekalov was apprehended in November 2023 as part of the “Abzas Media” case, and, like his fellow colleagues from the independent media outlets, has been charged with “smuggling”.

●  Ilham Aliyev spoke about the “promising opportunities for fostering relations between Baku and Yerevan.” “I believe this will herald a significant transformation in the South Caucasus, paving the way for the long-awaited establishment of peace,” he remarked during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Baku.

● NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed optimism about achieving lasting peace between Baku and Yerevan. “Stability in the South Caucasus region holds paramount importance for the security and well-being of its people,” he emphasized.

●  “The modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is poised for completion within the span of one to two months,” announced Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during discussions with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Baku.

The envisioned enhancements aim to slash transit times for cargo transportation between Asia and Europe while bolstering the route’s capacity from 1 million to 5 million tons annually.

● Plans are underway to construct a cargo airport within the Alat Free Economic Zone, situated on the outskirts of Baku, with operations anticipated to commence by early 2026.

●  The State Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has revealed plans to demine 8,500 hectares of agricultural land in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur this year.

● Today in Tbilisi, the NATO Secretary General is being welcomed, who has already visited Baku and is coming here as part of the South Caucasus tour. Meetings between Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze are scheduled.

● “It’s deeply regrettable that the president we elected has become a genuine leader of the opposition. She confirms this every day with her statements. There have been numerous elections where we, the supporters of the Georgian Dream party [the ruling party], have triumphed over the National Movement [considered the leader of the opposition]. The ruling party doesn’t need any falsifications to defeat these troublemakers and freeloaders. I urge Zurabishvili to maintain her dignity and at least pretend to be the president elected by the supporters of the Georgian Dream until the end of her term,” said Beka Odisharia, a representative of the parliamentary majority. This is how he commented on Salome Zurabishvili’s call for people to vote in the parliamentary elections in October, stating that otherwise, “it will be much easier to falsify their results.”

● Russian emigrants in Georgia have shown support for the global campaign “Noon against Putin,” with hundreds gathering on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi to protest Putin’s re-election.

● Georgia has joined the statement condemning the Russian presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The statement was signed by representatives of over 50 countries at the UN.

Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from February March 11-15, 2024