Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from July 15-19, 2024

● “Baku supports the prompt signing of a peace agreement, but this requires changes to the provisions in Armenia’s constitution that contain claims against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Oxford.

● “Pashinyan declined a meeting with Aliyev in London,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated. The meeting was proposed by the British side. “Baku views the refusal as a retreat from the peace agenda,” said Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan. In turn, the Armenian Foreign Ministry accused the Azerbaijani side of rejecting the meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev.

● “This is another clear example of France’s attempts to create tension in the region and hinder the peace process,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron. “France’s efforts, which do not serve peace and destabilize the region, will yield no results,” the ministry emphasized. Macron, at a press conference during the European Political Community Summit, commented on Paris’s arms supplies to Armenia, stating that Paris “simply responded to the request of a country that wants to arm itself and feels it might face aggression.”

● “The European Commission considers Azerbaijan a reliable partner in energy and a pan-European gas supplier,” said Ilham Aliyev during a roundtable at the 4th European Political Community Summit. “This is a huge responsibility, and of course, we are doing everything to fulfill our commitment to supply 20 billion cubic meters to the EU by 2027,” he added.

● Azerbaijan has applied to change its status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from a dialogue partner to an observer state.

● A Declaration on the establishment of the International Liberation Front was signed in Baku. The document was signed by representatives of 14 colonial states participating in the Congress of Movements for the Independence of Territories Colonized by France.

● Azerbaijan will participate in the first “North-South” Transport Forum in Aktau today. Representatives from Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Turkmenistan, and the UAE are also expected to attend the event on July 19-20.

● The Azerbaijani Food Safety Agency inspected ice cream. Eight types—three local and five imported—were found to contain bacteria harmful to humans. A total of 2,569 pieces of these ice cream brands were seized and destroyed.

● Internet tariffs in Azerbaijan will increase by 40% starting August 15. “It seems that providers, including state-owned ones, are on a path to enrichment. Seeing that everyone in the country is raising prices, they decided to follow suit. The principle of ‘high speed and high price’ is wrong, especially for the regions. Do citizens who use several online services really need 100 Mbps speed? The pricing policy should be designed to be affordable for everyone according to their needs,” commented Osman Gunduz, President of the Azerbaijan Internet Forum.

● The Prime Minister of Armenia participated in the 4th European Political Community Summit.

● The Armenian side proposed a bilateral meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev in London, but the Azerbaijani side declined, according to the Armenian Foreign Ministry. In turn, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused Nikol Pashinyan of rejecting the meeting with Aliyev.

● European Council President Charles Michel said he did everything possible on behalf of the EU to facilitate direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Brussels has seen the potential for direct contacts between the two countries in recent months, Michel said.

● In the UK, Nikol Pashinyan also met with the German Chancellor, the French President, and others. They discussed economic cooperation and bilateral relations, as well as the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

● Defense Minister Suren Papikyan informed EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos about Western reforms in the Armenian Armed Forces, at the ambassador’s request, according to the Armenian Defense Ministry’s press service.

● Armenian-American military exercises raise concerns about Armenia’s future, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She noted that the so-called “eagle partnership” often ends with the partner being used and then discarded. “Yerevan risks destabilizing the situation in the South Caucasus to the detriment of its own security,” she emphasized.

● An American military representative will be working in the Armenian Ministry of Defense. This information was confirmed to the Armenian investigative resource “Hetq” by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, who called it a “historic fact in the transition to a new strategic stage of partnership in Armenian-American relations.”

● The exhibition “Mother Deity: From Goddess Anahit to the Virgin Mary” will open at the History Museum of Armenia on the Republic’s Independence Day (September 21) and will run for six months. $40,000 has been allocated for its preparation.

● Parliament is discussing the amnesty bill in its first reading. Initially, the discussion will take place in the Legal Affairs Committee, followed by a vote at an extraordinary plenary session. According to the bill, the amnesty will affect 10 percent of convicts and will reduce the prison terms of a third of the inmates by 1/2, 1/4, and 1/6. Additionally, seven thousand people will have their probation period shortened by one year. Read more here

● Georgia has joined the declaration resulting from the European Political Community Summit, which brought together around 50 world leaders in the United Kingdom. The document includes several areas of particular importance for Europe’s security, including a call for action against Russia’s shadow tanker fleet, which allows Moscow to circumvent sanctions. “The informal nature of this meeting strengthens the geopolitical cohesion between the EU and third countries in the region,” writes “Voice of America.”

● Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban supported the adoption of the “foreign agents” law in Georgia. “This way, Georgia is trying to maintain its independence,” he said at the European Political Community Summit.

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that ending the war in Ukraine and establishing peace in the region would positively impact Georgia’s perception. He expressed hope that this war would end within a year and considered this the main task for the European Union.

● Giorgi Gabitashvili has been elected by parliament as the new Prosecutor General for a six-year term. He was the deputy to the previous Prosecutor General Irakli Shotadze, who suddenly resigned citing health reasons.

● In the Adjara region, residents of the village of Maradidi in the Khelvachauri district are asking the authorities for help. They claim that homes, gardens, and a cemetery were flooded after a small hydropower plant was launched in the area. Residents say that the company that built the plant and the government did not fulfill their promises.

● The Ministry of Economy has named attracting tourists from China as a new priority for Georgia’s tourism sector. It is reported that new flights between the two countries will soon be launched, operated by the Chinese state company Air China.

● A law has been passed to extend the duration of basic education in schools to 10 years instead of 9.

● The opposition pro-European party “Lelo” announced a pre-election coalition with Anna Dolidze’s party “For the People” and the new movement “Freedom Square”. “We choose partners and friends based on their clean past and shared values. We will create a real, fundamentally different alternative that will be a comfortable choice for many of our fellow citizens,” said one of “Lelo”’s leaders, Grigol Gegelia. This is the third pro-European opposition coalition ahead of the October elections.

● The U.S. Department of State has published a report on the investment climate in Georgia for 2023. “Overall, the conditions for doing business and investing are favorable, and Georgia stands out positively from other countries in the region. However, there is growing distrust in the judiciary’s ability to make independent or timely competent decisions on commercial matters, with some business disputes languishing in the court system for years,” the report states. The report also notes “inefficiency in decision-making processes at the municipal level,” “lack of effective antitrust policies,” and signs of “political interference and selective application of laws and regulations.”

● Senior Assistant to the Judge of the Constitutional Court, Tornike Obolashvili, shared on Facebook how he was recently illegally detained on the street. Plainclothes police officers took his phone, which he was using to film the incident, later tricked him into unlocking it and deleted the recording. He was held in custody for several hours without reason and then accused of obstructing police work.

● More than 120 Georgian NGOs and media organizations have filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court against the so-called “foreign agents law.” They claim that the controversial law violates citizens’ right to association. A lawsuit is also being prepared for the Strasbourg court.

● A Georgian citizen has been detained in the U.S. on charges of creating a neo-Nazi extremist group and planning mass murders of Jewish children in the U.S.

● Social media is ablaze with heated debates over the Georgian Olympic team’s uniform (pictured): those who like it are clearly in the minority. The designer of the uniform is Simon Machabeli. The colors are red and white, which are the colors of the Georgian national flag.

● The ruling party “New Azerbaijan” has nominated its candidates for the parliamentary elections in all 125 constituencies. The snap parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 1.

● President Ilham Aliyev will participate in the 4th European Political Community Summit in London.

● Female deminers have cleared over 1.17 million square meters of land in Karabakh over the past year, according to the European Commission.

● In Azerbaijan, it is no longer necessary to present identity documents. Providing information through the mygov app will now be equivalent to presenting an identity document. This also applies to marriage, birth, and death certificates.

● A high-speed toll road system has been implemented on the Baku-Guba-Russia border highway. It allows drivers to pass through toll points without slowing down or stopping. To use the system, drivers need a TEQ card and a balance for payment.

● The flag bearers for the Azerbaijani national team at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have been determined. Judoka Gyultaj Mamedaliyeva and boxer Magomed Abdullaev will carry the national flag. Azerbaijan will be represented by 49 athletes at the Paris Games.

In the photo: The monument to Muslim Magomayev on the Baku Boulevard.

● The issue of visa liberalization with Armenia was discussed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU Council. According to available information, the committee approved the European Commission’s proposal to start negotiations with Yerevan regarding visa liberalization. This decision still needs to be approved by the 27 member states, and only after that will the European Commission announce the timeline for the start of the process.

● Nikol Pashinyan and his wife have traveled to London for the 4th European Political Community Summit. Bilateral meetings with several international partners are also scheduled for July 17-20.

● The Armenian Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has fined 13 parties, each $100. They failed to submit their annual financial reports in the required format and within the established deadlines.

● There are no plans to reduce school hours for the subject “History of Armenia” — Ministry of Education.

● Armenian shooter Elmira Karapetyan participated in the Olympic torch relay in Paris.

● The Georgian women’s football team advanced to the playoffs of the European Championship qualifiers by defeating Lithuania 1-0. The penalty goal was scored by Maia Bebia.

● U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller: “We will continue to support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people, but we have seen the Georgian government turn in a different direction. It has passed laws that have distanced Georgia from the democratic path. These actions have fundamentally changed relations [of Georgia] with both the U.S. and European countries.”

● The mystical “global party of war” is once again being mentioned in Georgian Dream. This time, by the honorary chairman of the ruling party and informal leader of the country, Bidzina Ivanishvili. Speaking yesterday at the inauguration of the election campaign and the new office of Georgian Dream, he stated that “the global party of war is trying to bring its agents back into the Georgian government,” but they will not succeed because “the party of peace will win the upcoming parliamentary elections.” He called former President Saakashvili, President Salome Zurabishvili, and some opposition leaders “agents of the party of war,” describing them as “rootless politicians.” Read more here

● Another quote from Bidzina Ivanishvili’s speech: “If the Republicans win in the U.S., the war [in Ukraine] could end as early as January.”

● Newly re-elected President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola: “We must be ready to extend Europe’s hand to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.”

● The government will allocate one million lari [$360,000] to Olympic champions, half a million lari to silver medalists, and 250 thousand lari to bronze medalists. This was announced by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze at a ceremonial send-off for Georgian athletes to the Olympic Games.

● The “People’s Power” party, which formally separated from Georgian Dream (and is the author of many controversial legislative initiatives, including the “foreign agent law”), will run in the fall parliamentary elections together with Georgian Dream. This was announced by the executive secretary of Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze. More about this party here

● Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze: “We are not going to lose any elections for at least another 12 years.”

? Georgian women’s football team.

● “Yerevan remains committed to democracy despite challenges and external aggression,” stated the Foreign Minister during his speech at the UN forum.

● Economic activity in Armenia nearly halved in May, dropping to 5.2%, according to World Bank data. This decline is attributed to a fall in industrial production and trade volumes. Remittances also decreased by 44%, with a 55% drop from Russia and a 4% increase from the USA.

● Former mayor of Vanadzor, Armenia’s third-largest city, Mamikon Aslanyan, who was released on bail, did not rule out running for office again. “For two years and seven months, I haven’t had extensive contact with the public. I need to consult with my team and decide what we will do,” Aslanyan told journalists. In 2021, Aslanyan, who had led Vanadzor for five years, was detained on charges of abuse of power, forgery, and committing socially dangerous acts.

● Today, AZAL inaugurated its first-ever regular flights to Karabakh. Flights will operate from Baku to Fizuli and back on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

● The Congress of Movements for the Independence of French-Colonized Territories will open in Baku today. The event will feature leaders from over 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, and the Caribbean and Antilles islands.

● Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov has traveled to Kazakhstan to observe the international exercises “Birlik-2024.”

● On the day of Ashura, Azerbaijani mosques held blood donation drives. A total of 1,040 liters of blood were collected from donors yesterday.

● As of July 1, Azerbaijan’s external public debt amounted to $5.367 billion, according to the Ministry of Finance.

● In the first half of the year, Azerbaijan allocated 1.953 billion manats (approximately $1.2 billion) for the restoration of liberated territories.

● An electric Flirt train arrived at Baku Railway Station. This is the fifth train ordered from Switzerland’s Stadler Rail Group, out of ten purchased. It will soon be put into operation.

● President Salome Zourabichvili has filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court demanding the annulment of the so-called “foreign agents” law, arguing it contradicts the country’s Constitution. Read more here

● Former Constitutional Court judge Ketevan Eremadze commented on the president’s lawsuit: “This case is much more than just a matter of the constitutionality of a single law, as it disrupts the country’s history, halts its present, and kills its future. This case places the country at a crossroads: a European future or a Soviet quagmire,” Eremadze stated in an interview with the opposition channel TV Pirveli.

● The White House press secretary urged foreign countries, including Georgia, to refrain from “irresponsible statements” regarding the attempt on Donald Trump’s life. Matthew Miller made this comment in response to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s claim that a “global party of war” was behind the attack on Trump. “I don’t even know what that means,” Miller said. Kobakhidze’s theory about the connection between the attack on Trump and the “global party of war” became known in Washington, despite being posted only in Georgian on Facebook for a local audience. For the international audience, Kobakhidze published a post in English on X, condemning violence in general terms.

● “NATO supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, is committed to our long-standing partnership with Georgia, and urges its government to accelerate reforms to strengthen democratic institutions and advance the Georgian people’s aspiration for Euro-Atlantic integration,” wrote NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina, on X.

● Today, Muslims in Azerbaijan are observing Ashura Day. In conjunction, blood donation drives are being held in mosques across the country.

● The Azerbaijani embassy in Iran has resumed operations. The embassy’s activities in Tehran were suspended after an armed attack on the diplomatic mission in January 2023.

● The Azerbaijani Central Election Commission has approved the candidacies of 261 individuals for the parliamentary elections. A total of 431 people submitted documents to participate.

● Azerbaijani soldier Yunis Abbasov died in an accident, according to the Ministry of Defense.

● Salary supplements for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 in Azerbaijan will continue until October 1.

● The double taxation agreement between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan has been canceled.

● Azerbaijani mountaineer Israfel Ashurly has conquered his ninth world peak, Nanga Parbat (8125 m), without using supplementary oxygen. This is the seventh eight-thousander for the Azerbaijani climber.

 ● A peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will require both sides to make difficult choices and significant compromises: U.S. Department of State.

●  The joint Armenian-American exercises “Eagle Partner 2024” have begun in Yerevan. American instructors will train Armenian peacekeepers for 10 days.

●  Former mayor of Vanadzor, Mamikon Aslanyan, will be released on bail of 10 million drams ($26,000) after 2 years and 7 months of detention, according to his lawyer. He was arrested on charges of abuse of power.

●  Starting from January 2025, Yerevan Metro will completely abandon tokens. Rides can be paid for via mobile applications or QR code receipts.

●  A man in Armenia has been detained for laundering $32,000 through cryptocurrency from drug sales. The Investigative Committee reports that the 23-year-old Yerevan resident was part of a criminal group operating from 2020 to 2023.

● Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will be in New York for a working visit on July 15-16. He will participate in the ministerial segment of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, where he will present a report from the Armenian government.

●  Georgian national football team player Giorgi Mikautadze won the “Golden Boot,” scoring three goals at Euro 2024. Five other players also received the top scorer award: Jamal Musiala (Germany), Ivan Schranz (Slovakia), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Dani Olmo (Spain), and Harry Kane (England).

The Georgian national team was eliminated from their first European Championship in the Round of 16, losing to Spain.

●  The article of the Constitution on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations is nonsense, according to Irakli Rukhadze, owner of the pro-government TV company “Imedi.” In a recent interview with the channel, he stated that a survey had been conducted, and only two to three percent of respondents considered the prospect of joining the European Union very important.

●  In Tskhinvali, unknown assailants shot Sergo and Leva Kabisov, nephews of former leader of Georgia’s breakaway region Anatoly Bibilov. Both brothers were hospitalized. Local media initially remained silent about the incident and only began reporting on it after the news had spread on social media. Investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances of the shooting.

● U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen plans to visit Georgia in October to observe the parliamentary elections, according to Demna Devdariani, head of the Washington bureau of the TV channel “Formula.”

●  “This is the handwriting of the Global War Party!” – Georgia’s ruling party has attributed the assassination attempt on Donald Trump to a mystical organization they claim rules the world (and, recently, has tried to stage a revolution in Georgia). “The Global War Party’s methods stay unchanged. In the 21st century, liberal fascism, radicalism, polarization, hatred, and bloody attacks on politicians have become commonplace in America and Europe,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze wrote on Meta.

MP Mamuka Mdinaradze agreed: “Political violence and assassination attempts, subversive actions, and the propaganda of lies, wars, and destruction are the hallmarks of the Global War Party and liberal fascism. And yet, some claim that there is no war party and that it was invented by Georgian Dream.”

● Russian military forces have illegally detained a Georgian citizen near the village of Adzvi in the Gori municipality, close to the separation line with the Tskhinvali region, according to Georgia’s State Security Service. The agency has not disclosed the detainee’s name or provided details. It activated the EU Monitoring Mission’s “hotline” and reported the incident to the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions and international partners.

●  “Not too late yet, but time is running out” – experts are debating the opposition’s chances in the upcoming autumn elections. For more details, visit: https://jam-news.net/opposition-and-elections-in-georgia/

●  Candidate registration has begun for Azerbaijan’s snap parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 1.

●  The price of Aİ-95 gasoline in Azerbaijan has decreased by 20% as of today, bringing it down to 1.60 manat (approximately $0.94) per liter. This follows a 10% increase in the price of the more popular Aİ-92 gasoline two weeks ago, and a 25% increase in diesel prices on July 1.

●  President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev condemned the attack on Donald Trump, stating, “This attack is shocking and horrifying. I strongly condemn this act of political violence and wish President Trump a speedy recovery,” in a post on social media platform X.

●  “For a peace treaty to be signed, it is important to amend the Armenian Constitution to constitutionally end territorial claims against Azerbaijan,” President Ilham Aliyev stated in a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.

●  Observers from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly are preparing to monitor Azerbaijan’s snap parliamentary elections on September 1. The monitoring team will be led by Russian Federation Council Vice Speaker Konstantin Kosachev.

●  Mehriban Alekperzade, artistic director of the Azerbaijan National Drama Theater, has been awarded the annual CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Chingiz Aitmatov Prize. Alekperzade is the first woman to receive this international award.

●  The Armenian version of the Azerbaijani song “Karabakh,” titled “Sirun Jan,” has been removed from YouTube for copyright infringement. “Efforts are being made to remove this song from other platforms as well,” stated the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and the Intellectual Property Agency in a joint statement.

●  Nikol Pashinyan condemned the attack on Donald Trump and wished him a speedy recovery. “Acts of violence have no place in a democratic society,” wrote the Armenian Prime Minister on X.

● Nikol Pashinyan posted a video of himself boarding a plane with his family. He flew on a regular flight in economy class, surrounded by ordinary passengers. It was later revealed that he was traveling to Berlin to watch the Spain-England match. He also shared a photo of his meeting with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who had invited him to watch the game.

●  Armenia’s U16 basketball team defeated their Azerbaijani peers to secure third place in Division C of the European Championship. The Armenian team won the match in Tirana with a score of 71:63.

Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from July 8-12, 2024