Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from August 5-9, 2024

● The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Russia of violating the ceasefire agreement and called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgian territory. The statement highlighted several issues:

• The presence of Russian military bases in Georgia (Abkhazia and South Ossetia).
• Regular military exercises conducted by Russia in these areas.
• Illegal construction of barriers along the occupation line.
• Killings and illegal detentions of residents in Georgian villages.
• Ethnic discrimination against the Georgian population.
• Obstructing access for international organizations and the deployment of international security mechanisms.

The ministry stated that “with the support of international partners, the Georgian authorities are working towards de-occupation using diplomatic and legal tools to rebuild trust between communities divided by occupation lines and to build a shared European future.”

● The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined what it considers the key tasks regarding the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts: 1) Developing an agreement on the non-use of force between Tbilisi, Sukhumi, and Tskhinvali, and 2) Initiating the process of delimiting the Georgian-South Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhaz borders, followed by their demarcation. The ministry reiterated that “Washington and its allies are deliberately destabilizing the situation on Russia’s borders” and expressed “readiness to cooperate with those interested in the fate of the South Caucasus and to facilitate dialogue between Tbilisi, Tskhinvali, and Sukhumi to achieve long-term peace in the region.”

● President Salome Zurabishvili accused the government of “direct betrayal of the country,” claiming their actions led to the U.S. halting funding for the Lugar Laboratory and the National Center for Disease Control. Zurabishvili posted on Facebook that these two critical health centers have lost about 2 million lari (approximately $800,000). “Amid the growing threat of infectious epidemics worldwide, the Georgian government is deliberately putting these programs in an extreme situation, leaving us fully vulnerable to future pandemics. It is unacceptable when the government consciously and persistently destroys all areas of our success,” she wrote.

● The new Abkhazian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Shamba, denied claims that a Russian naval base is being constructed in Ochamchira. “There is no such thing,” Shamba said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti. Last year, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania confirmed the decision to build this base, saying it “would strengthen the defense capabilities of both Russia and Abkhazia.”

● On the 28th day of their protest, striking employees of the online casino company “Evolution Georgia” announced they would begin a hunger strike. It’s unclear when it will start or how many people will join. Several thousand people are involved in the protest, demanding “decent working conditions for employees.” They claim that during the protest, the company’s management has not contacted them even once, and they are calling on the government, political parties, the president, the Ministry of Health, and the Public Defender to “prevent 20-25-year-olds from dying of hunger.” Watch a video interview with one of the protesters, where she explains the issues that forced nearly 5,000 people to strike

● French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies on the visit of the EU observation mission to the Nerkin Khand community in Armenia’s Syunik region, near the border with Azerbaijan: “The presence of European observers provides reassurance to the isolated and vulnerable population of this community. The EU mission is tangible proof that these people have not been forgotten by the world.”

● The first Indian “Akash-1S” air defense systems will arrive in Armenia by the end of this year, according to the Indian Defence Research Wing. The purchase of 15 systems cost Yerevan $720 million.

● Armenia may join the BRICS Bridge platform, designed for cross-border payments among BRICS countries. This was announced by BRICS Center President Vicente Barrientos during the “New Horizons of Cooperation between Armenia, the EAEU, BRICS, and the SCO” forum in Yerevan. He noted that Yerevan could play a crucial role within BRICS+ in developing joint policies for reforming the global financial and economic architecture.

● The EU observation mission in Armenia visited the Nerkin Khand community in the Syunik region.

● Ilham Aliyev is visiting Astana to participate in the 6th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State.

● Next month, resettlement in the Jabrayil district will begin, according to Anar Akberov, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative of the President in the Jabrayil, Gubadly, and Zangilan districts.

● “Armenia’s policy of ethnic cleansing violated the rights of Azerbaijanis,” stated Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva on the 33rd anniversary of the deportation of the last Azerbaijanis from Armenia. She urged the international community to “apply serious pressure on Armenia to address this historical injustice.”

● “We make no distinctions; our Armenian-origin citizens living in the liberated territories can participate in the elections,” said Central Election Commission head Mazahir Panahov. The snap elections for the Milli Majlis will be held on September 1.

● In Azerbaijan, 1,030 candidates have been registered for the upcoming parliamentary snap elections.

● The flag bearers for Azerbaijan at the opening ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games in Paris have been announced. Para taekwondo athlete Imamedin Khalilov and para athlete Lamiya Valiyeva will carry the Azerbaijani flag.

● Azerbaijani Greco-Roman wrestler Khasrat Jafarov won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. He defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Amantur Ismayilov 8-0 in the match for third place. Azerbaijan’s Olympic team in Paris now has two golds, one silver, and one bronze.

● Yesterday and today, Georgia commemorates the events of the August 2008 war with Russia over South Ossetia. Following the war, Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries, though the UN and most of the international community consider them Georgian territory. The war resulted in the deaths of 412 Georgian military and civilians, 365 Ossetians, and 67 Russian soldiers. 20,000 ethnic Georgians were displaced. Here is the chronology of those events, often called the “five-day war,” with facts and photos

● The ruling party issued a statement on the anniversary, blaming then-president Mikheil Saakashvili and his United National Movement (UNM) party for the war. “Georgian Dream” warns that the events of August 2008 will be legally assessed. The statement claims that UNM executed an anti-state order from abroad, which will be clarified in a public trial. The government also reiterated that during the Ukraine war, UNM aimed to open a second front in Georgia to drag the country into the conflict. More details here

● Imprisoned Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page: “I am held captive because I didn’t surrender Georgia to the enemy. In 2008, our army stood strong, people took to the streets, I stayed in Tbilisi, and our partners arrived. The Americans sent a fleet to save Georgian statehood. The enemy couldn’t capture us then.”

● The president, public defender, and opposition representatives visited villages in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, laying wreaths in memory of those who died in the 2007 August war (photo). “This is something we cannot forget. It’s not a ‘given,’ as the prime minister says. We will never reconcile with this. We must think every day about what to do to return the territories without force or war,” said President Salome Zurabishvili. Opposition representatives visited the Mukhatgverdi cemetery to honor fallen soldiers.

● Public Defender Levan Ioseliani visited the villages of Goraka and Sakorintlo in the conflict zone. His report highlighted the main issue in the village: a lack of irrigation water and farming equipment.

● No government officials participated in the wreath-laying ceremony. In Georgia, there’s disagreement on the war’s start date: the opposition cites August 7, while the government marks it on August 8. Government and ruling party representatives are expected to hold commemorative events today.

● U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to fulfill its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement and withdraw its forces to pre-war positions. “Russia continues to occupy 20 percent of Georgia and impose its will on the local population, demanding the transfer of strategically important lands in Abkhazia and establishing a permanent naval base in Ochamchira. We call on Russia to revoke its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Blinken stated, emphasizing the unwavering U.S. support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future and peaceful conflict resolution.

● NATO, the EU, and the Foreign Ministries of France, Estonia, Ukraine, the UK, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, and other countries expressed support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and condemned Russia’s actions.

● EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell: “The EU firmly supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and condemns the presence of Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Human rights violations continue in these regions due to the policy of ‘borderization’ and illegal detentions. The EU actively participates in the Geneva International Discussions and the monitoring mission in Georgia, remaining committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Georgia.”

● The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a statement marking the anniversary. “Ukraine supports Georgia’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. Russian imperialism in the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and Europe has remained unchanged for centuries, rooted in deep-seated chauvinism and disregard for other nations, international law, and recognized borders, with the aim of restoring imperial dominance,” the statement said.

● The U.S. Embassy in Georgia: “We remember the painful consequences of the war that continue to affect the Georgian people. Russia’s ongoing violation of the 2008 ceasefire agreement underscores the ongoing struggle for peace and stability in the region.”

● Gashym Magomedov won a silver medal at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris. The Azerbaijani athlete lost in the taekwondo final to his Korean opponent in the under 58 kg weight category.

● Yerevan confirmed Baku’s statement that, by mutual agreement, the article on regional communications has been removed from the draft peace treaty. Earlier, Elchin Amirbekov, the special envoy of the Azerbaijani president, announced that the sides agreed to exclude the article on transport communications, including the route connecting western Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. This issue will be addressed at a later stage.

● The head of Azerbaijan’s NATO representation, Jafar Huseynzade, and his wife were robbed in Brussels. The attackers hit the couple on the head with pistols and stole Rolex watches worth 90,000 euros. Huseynzade was appointed head of Azerbaijan’s NATO representation in October 2022.

● Two soldiers were arrested in connection with the 2022 disappearance of two servicemen whose remains were recently found in the Lachin district. They have been sentenced to various prison terms for violent actions against subordinates and abuse of authority, according to the military prosecutor’s office.

● Rashad Amirov, who was internationally wanted, has been extradited from Georgia to Azerbaijan. Amirov is suspected of significant fraud, according to the General Prosecutor’s Office. He was detained in Georgia and, on August 6, escorted by a special convoy from the Ministry of Justice’s penitentiary service to Azerbaijan.

In a photo by JAMnews: Peri-Gala Fortress (Fairy Fortress), carved into a mountain in the 5th century, located in the Zakatala district of Azerbaijan near the Georgian border. The only mountain trail leading to the fortress is destroyed.

● Yerevan confirmed Baku’s statement that the clause on regional communications has been mutually excluded from the draft peace agreement. However, the unblocking of routes remains a crucial part of Armenia’s vision for peace and economic development in the region, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan.

● The floating solar power station on Yerevan Lake received a license to generate electricity after 11 months of trial operation.

● Armenian police reported new methods of phone scams and urged citizens to be vigilant. Recently, Yerevan residents have received calls from unknown individuals claiming their relatives were in accidents abroad, followed by requests for money for their treatment. Scammers then send people to collect the money and disappear. Some victims lost $16,000, $20,000, and $30,000, with 28 cases reported since late July.

● A viral video on social media shows Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan participating in an old Armenian tradition at a wedding, giving the bride’s brother at least 200,000 drams ($500) as a gift.

● Sergey Shamba has been appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Abkhazia. Until now, he served as the Secretary of the Security Council. Shamba previously headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2004. He stepped down from the ministerial post to run in the presidential elections and was reappointed as Foreign Minister later that same year, holding the position until 2010. Since 2020, he has served as Secretary of the Security Council.

● The U.S. State Department has expressed deep concern over the arrest of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov in Tbilisi, urging the Georgian authorities to “release him immediately and respect human rights,” according to prominent political commentator Alex Raufoglu on his X account. He also reports that the U.S. has called on Azerbaijan to “immediately release all unjustly detained and convicted individuals.” Sadygov, accused of extortion, is facing extradition to Baku, with his family claiming political persecution.

● The Constitutional Court has been affected among other organizations and institutions due to the U.S. decision to halt direct financial assistance to the Georgian government, totaling $95 million. This includes the suspension of the summer school under the “Rule of Law” program at the Georgian Constitutional Court, co-financed by the Council of Europe. The halt in aid is a response to Georgia’s adoption of the “foreign agents” law and other “anti-democratic actions and false statements by the Georgian government.” Read more here

● “American aid to Georgia has been a tool of pressure on the country,” reads a press release from the ruling party “Georgian Dream.” “We believed this aid was altruistic, but it turned out to be a tool for advancing their own policies,” said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

● Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze is on a three-day working visit to Milan. According to the mayor’s office, he is accompanied by officials from the Georgian Football Federation. The purpose of the visit has not been detailed in the press release.

● “There is a shared understanding that ensuring the return of Karabakh Armenians to their homes under international guarantees is necessary. If Armenia brings this issue to the negotiation table, it will undoubtedly receive international support,” stated former Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. Oskanian cited an interview with Toivo Klaar in JAMnews, which he believes “fully reflects the international sentiment on this issue.” Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated, “Toivo Klaar is well aware that despite multiple calls from the Azerbaijani side for Armenian residents to stay in their homes and return, the Armenians have no intention of returning to the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan.” The interview with Toivo Klaar can be read here

● Yerevan border guards discovered 3 kg of cocaine in the suitcase of a Dominican Republic citizen who had arrived in Armenia. The drugs were hidden in sewn pockets of camera and laptop bags.

● Yerevan residents are dissatisfied with the work of the city’s mayor and all factions of the Council of Elders, according to a Gallup International Association-Armenia poll. The mayor’s work received a rating of 2.6 out of 5 from the city’s residents, reported Ashot Navasardyan, head of the organization. When asked if Avinyan should resign, 32.6% responded “definitely yes,” and 17.3% answered “probably yes.”

● President Ilham Aliyev met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu, who arrived on a visit to Azerbaijan. “Russia supports the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” Shoygu stated during the meeting.

● The energy ministers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum in Astana on the project to lay an energy cable along the Caspian Sea floor. The document outlines the conditions for cooperation in connecting the energy systems of the three countries. These nations also aim to sell electricity to the EU.

● In the Lachin region, the remains of soldiers Farid Mamedov and Firdovsi Abdullayev, who went missing two years ago, have been found. They are believed to have perished after getting lost in a snowstorm.

● Travelers Karl Bushby and Angela Maxwell plan to become the first people to swim across the Caspian Sea. They will depart from the Caspian shore in Aktau (Kazakhstan) in the coming days and are expected to reach Baku in about a month. The travelers are pictured far right and far left in the photo.

● “France’s policy of neocolonialism is repulsive,” stated President Ilham Aliyev while receiving the credentials of the ambassador of Burkina Faso. “Azerbaijan has raised its voice against this policy and demands independence and freedom for the peoples subjugated by France, which has a bloody colonial history,” he said.

● “Toivo Klaar is well aware that, despite repeated calls from the Azerbaijani side for Armenian residents to stay in their homes and return, Armenians do not intend to return to Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on statements made by Toivo Klaar in an interview with JAMnews. “The fact that Klaar makes such biased statements is another blow to the reputation of the organization he primarily represents,” the statement said. Interview with Toivo Klaar here 

● Azerbaijan has registered 950 candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to the Central Election Commission. The early parliamentary elections will take place on September 1.

● The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Azerbaijani citizens to refrain from traveling to Palestine and Israel unless necessary due to the rapidly changing security situation in the region.

● Due to COP29, the work schedule of state institutions in Baku, Sumgayit, and the Absheron region will be adjusted. 70% of employees will work remotely during the event.

● A new road has opened in central Baku, built on the site of the “Javanshir” bridge. The new four-lane road is 400 meters long.

● In Azerbaijan, a unique surgery was performed: 6-month-old Melissa Allahverdiyeva, diagnosed with biliary atresia, successfully received a liver transplant from her mother. It is the first time in the country that a donor liver has been transplanted to a child weighing no more than 7 kg.

● In Azerbaijan, 148 drug-selling pages on Instagram and Telegram have been blocked, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 117 pages were blocked on Instagram, and 31 channels on Telegram.

In the video: the Kelaghayi dance (a traditional women’s headscarf). An exhibition at the Heydar Aliyev Center titled “Air Fountain”

● The prosecution has requested bail as a preventive measure for Vitali Guguchia (pictured), who is accused of violence against a PostTV film crew. He has been charged with two counts: unlawful interference with professional activities and violence. Vitali Guguchia is the owner of a shop in Tbilisi who became famous after the “orange incident.” During protests against the “foreign agents” law, pro-government MP Viktor Japaridze grabbed an orange from his stall and threw it at activists. The next day, Japaridze came to apologize and pay for the orange. “It’s not a problem that you took the orange; the problem is that you took our future,” Guguchia told the MP in a heated exchange. A few days later, a crew from the pro-government channel POSTV arrived at Guguchia’s private house in the Samegrelo region. They persistently tried to make him talk to them, which eventually led to a fight.

● President Salome Zourabichvili: “The only ones who need to keep an eye on Mikheil Saakashvili are the Georgian authorities. They are repeating his authoritarian steps but not replicating the good things he did for the country.”

● The President invited oligarch and honorary chairman of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili to a debate. “Let’s clarify some issues; he owes some explanations for his positions.”

● Zourabichvili on the EU’s plans regarding Georgia: “Everything is on hold until the parliamentary elections in October; everyone wants to see what the will of the people will be.”

● The National Center for Disease Control and the Lugar Lab in Georgia have been left without US financial assistance, reported Formula TV. These organizations were supposed to receive part of the $95 million that the US State Department halted in response to the Georgian government’s anti-democratic policies and anti-Western rhetoric. The opposition also announced that the Erasmus program, which provides internships for students in European countries, will be suspended for Georgia. Read more here

● The Ministry of Justice has launched a registry website for organizations under the “foreign agents” law. So far, there have been no registrations. Leading NGOs and media outlets have categorically stated that they will not register. In this case, they will be fined 25,000 lari (about $9,000) and forcibly registered. Read more here

● Yerevan has declined participation in two CSTO exercises (a military alliance led by Russia). Armenia will not take part in the CSTO command and staff exercise “Interaction-2024” in Kyrgyzstan and “Cobalt-2024” in Novosibirsk.

● The Armenian government will allocate funds for a gravestone for MP Matevos Asatryan of the ruling party, who passed away suddenly in the fall of 2023. According to the decision, $4,700 (equivalent in drams) will be allocated from the budget for this purpose.

● The Armenian Red Cross Society warns residents to be cautious: unknown individuals are calling local residents, especially refugees from Karabakh, pretending to be representatives of the society and collecting personal and banking information under the guise of providing assistance.

● Senior Research Fellow at the Hudson Institute and foreign policy expert Luke Coffey, in an interview with Voice of America, said: “The suspension of direct aid to the Georgian authorities is a result of their actions, especially the adoption of the so-called ‘Russian law’ (‘foreign agents law’). But it is also a result of the constant rhetoric of false accusations from high-ranking Georgian government officials. I assume there will also be sanctions against specific leaders; I don’t know who and what kind of sanctions, but it’s the only logical step.”

● Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov was detained by police on the street in Tbilisi. The court then sentenced him to three months in prison while awaiting a final decision on his extradition to Baku. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sadigov is wanted in Azerbaijan for threats and extortion. His family categorically denies these charges and claims political persecution. A defender of journalists’ rights in Georgia stated that the decision of the Georgian court would be appealed. Read more here

●  It has been a year since the tragedy at the Shovi mountain resort, where a massive landslide occurred. 33 people died, and one teenager is still missing. A government delegation, led by the Prime Minister, visited the disaster area. Irakli Kobakhidze announced that a memorial and an Orthodox church would be built at the site of the tragedy. President Salome Zourabichvili made a statement regarding this tragic date. “Taking measures to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again and remembering the victims—this is what it means to be a state,” she wrote on social media. Opposition leaders expressed condolences to the families of the victims. A representative of the “Lelo” party stated that “over the past year, the authorities have done nothing to prevent human casualties in the event of a natural disaster.” A report from Shovi and analysis of the situation will be available soon on JAMnews.

● Hundreds of fans greeted the Georgian national judo team at the Tbilisi airport upon their return from the Paris Olympics. Judoka Lasha Bekauri became a two-time Olympic champion, earning Georgia its first gold medal. Three-time world champion Tato Grigalashvili won a silver medal in Paris. Georgian judoka Ilia Sulamanidze (100 kg) also won a silver medal.

● Boxer Lasha Guruli (63.5 kg) won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. Georgia currently has four medals: one gold, two silvers—all in judo—and one bronze in boxing.

● On the initiative of the Ministry of Health, the Scientific-Practical Center for Infectious Pathology, AIDS, and Clinical Immunology will now be named after Tengiz Tsertsvadze. He was a key initiator, supporter, and successful implementer of government programs to combat hepatitis C and B in Georgia. He was also a member of the American Society of Infectious Diseases, the European Association for the Study of the Liver, the New York Academy of Sciences, the International AIDS Society, and many other international medical societies. Tengiz Tsertsvadze passed away on August 1 after a long illness at the age of 76.

● The percentage of Israeli citizens among foreigners buying apartments in Tbilisi has sharply increased: in the first six months of the year, it reached 11%, compared to only 4% a year ago. The share of Russians decreased from 8% to 2%. 76% of those who bought apartments in Tbilisi in the past six months were Georgian citizens, 4% less than in the same period last year, according to the Georgian publication Netgazeti.

● The National Food Agency is inspecting ice cream factories and sales outlets. It is reported that more than 60 inspections have been conducted so far, with no critical non-compliances found.

Video from the Georgian edition of Radio Liberty: the Georgian Olympic judo team is welcomed at the airport.

● 881 candidates have registered for the upcoming early parliamentary elections on September 1.

● In the Lachin region (adjacent to Karabakh), shepherd Ali Suleymanov was injured by an anti-personnel mine while grazing cattle in an uncleared area. He sustained an injury to his left leg and was hospitalized in Khankendi.

● The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid traveling to the country unless necessary.

● 32-year-old Iraqi citizen Mahdi Salih Faizi attempted to cross from Iran to Azerbaijan by sea in an inflatable boat. He was detained by Azerbaijani border guards. The motives of the violator are currently unknown.

● Azerbaijani boxer Alfonso Dominguez advanced to the finals in the under-92 kg category at the Paris Olympics. The final will take place on August 10.

● Azerbaijan has begun selecting the song and performer for Eurovision 2025 in Switzerland.

In the photo: A beach in the village of Zagulba on the outskirts of Baku.

● “The Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church considers an article in the official Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which describes the famous Armenian churches of Nagorno-Karabakh as ‘Albanian,’ to be a distortion of history and a service to Azerbaijani propaganda,” the diocese said in a statement. “Before publishing a propaganda article, the author should have at least briefly familiarized themselves with the events that occurred just a few months ago, their motives, and then the actual history of Dadivank, Gandzasar, and Khatravank, and tried to understand what language the inscriptions are in and why they are in Armenian.”

● Armenia won its first Olympic medal, with gymnast Artur Davtyan taking silver in Paris. He scored 14.966 points in the vault, coming second to Carlos Yulo from the Philippines.

● Tourists from Armenia spent $64 million in Georgia throughout 2024, contributing to Georgia’s record $1.9 billion in international tourism revenue in the first half of the year, according to the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

● Expressing hope for peace and stability in friendly Lebanon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia urges Armenian citizens to temporarily refrain from traveling to Lebanon unless absolutely necessary.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from July 20-August 2, 2024