Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from August 19-23, 2024

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that “the banning of political parties is a democratic process, with parties being banned one after another in Ukraine and Moldova, and the EU views this positively.” It’s important to note that, so far, only political parties linked to Russia have been banned in Ukraine and Moldova. Read more here

● The ruling party explained the much-mocked bulletproof podium used by party founder and oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili during his speech in Mtskheta. “Everyone knows how Trump was targeted during his presidential campaign. The collective ‘National Movement’ (referring to the entire opposition) is controlled from outside and is capable of anything. Bidzina Ivanishvili is a crucial figure for our country, so, of course, security measures were enhanced,” said Georgian Dream’s General Secretary and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. Ruling party MP Beka Odisharia added that “Ivanishvili is now the number one target for those who plotted against Donald Trump because he prevents the opening of a second front.” Public attention was drawn to the fact that the bulletproof shield was used exclusively for Ivanishvili, with no similar protection for the Prime Minister, Parliament Speaker, Mayor, or other leaders. Such security measures are unprecedented in Georgia.

● Not only will the President’s administration’s lawyers represent Salome Zourabichvili’s interests in the Constitutional Court in her lawsuit against the “foreign agent” law, but independent lawyers will also be involved. According to independent channel “Formula,” these include lawyer and well-known politician Eka Beselia. The spokesperson from the opposition, who has also filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court against this law, will be Tamar Kordzaia from the United National Movement party. It is still unknown who will represent the ruling Georgian Dream during the hearings.

● Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani stated that he agrees with all the authors of these lawsuits and will participate in the Constitutional Court proceedings as a “friend of the court.”

● The opposition party “Akhali” reported a series of attacks and acts of vandalism against the offices of the “Coalition for Change” electoral bloc, of which it is a part, in various regions of Georgia.

● Ruling party MP Beka Odisharia: “I believe that at least 1.5 million Georgian citizens will rally around Georgian Dream’s messages and defeat the coalition against Georgia [referring to the opposition] once and for all.”

● The opposition party “Gakharia – For Georgia” expressed support for the striking employees of the online casino “Evolution Georgia,” who are demanding higher wages and better working conditions. The strike, involving about 5,000 people, over half of the company’s employees, began on July 12. Party representatives stated that “the authorities lack the ability, competence, and willingness to solve people’s problems” and called on the Labor Inspectorate to investigate. More about the strike here 

● A shocking murder in Surami, Khashuri district. A 15-year-old girl killed a 74-year-old local taxi driver, claiming he attempted to rape her. Local media report that the victim’s body had multiple stab wounds. The victim’s relatives suspect the girl was actually trying to rob him.

● The government announced a tender for the construction of a high-speed road to the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Construction of the 61.3 km four-lane highway will begin in 2025 and be completed within 30 months. The cost of the work is €250 million, funded by the European Investment Bank.

📷 Photo Illustration: President Salome Zourabichvili / Lawyer and Politician Eka Beselia.

● Reports on social media indicate that activist and political scientist Bahruz Samedov (pictured), a PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague, has been detained. His grandmother said their home was searched by individuals claiming to be state security officers, who took two laptops, books, and documents. She also received a call from someone named Vafa, who identified herself as a lawyer and stated that Samedov was arrested for treason. Samedov went missing on the evening of August 21, and there has been no official information about him since.

● President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan began a two-day visit to Uzbekistan, where high-level talks and the first meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council are scheduled.

● An office for the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company has opened in Tashkent. Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov stated that the company’s activities will elevate cooperation in mutual investments to a new level.

● Georgia will appoint a new ambassador to Azerbaijan next year. The current ambassador, Zurab Pataradze, will complete his term on January 1, 2025, after serving since August 2018.

● An international conference on combating neocolonialism is taking place in Baku, focused on the island of Bonaire in the southern Caribbean, which is under Dutch rule. The event is organized by the Baku Initiative Group and the Movement for Human Rights and Change in Bonaire.

● BakuBus, a major bus operator in Baku and across Azerbaijan, is encouraging women to become bus drivers.

● The Land Transport Agency has urged locals to switch from cars to bicycles: “This will reduce traffic, protect the environment, and promote physical activity.”

● Armenia has banned the import and transit of rodents and primates to prevent the spread of monkeypox.

● The megalithic complex “Zorats Karer” in southern Armenia will be added to the state list of protected historical and cultural monuments. “Zorats Karer” (“Stones of Power”) is a popular site, believed by some to be an ancient observatory due to the specific arrangement of its stones for star observation.

● The government has approved a requirement for taxi drivers to have licenses and issue receipts for rides starting September 1.

● After a several-month hiatus, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party and an oligarch, delivered a speech in the city of Mtskheta near Tbilisi. The ruling party launched its election campaign there yesterday. Ivanishvili addressed the crowd from a separate bulletproof podium reserved solely for him. Other leaders of “Georgian Dream” spoke before him. Ivanishvili urged people to help “Georgian Dream” secure a constitutional majority in the parliamentary elections on October 26 to achieve three main goals:

• Hold a “Nuremberg trial” for the leaders and members of the National Movement (an opposition party founded by Mikheil Saakashvili).
• Pass a bill on protecting family values, initiated by the ruling party, which local and Western human rights activists unanimously label as homophobic.
• Ivanishvili stated that “the issue of restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity could become relevant at any moment,” and when it does, it will be necessary to amend the constitution, particularly by revising the country’s governance system and territorial structure.

● The scandal continued over the detention of two Georgian citizens by Russian military forces in the Gali district of Abkhazia, accused of organizing paid crossings through the demarcation line in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone. Initially, ruling party MP Beka Odisharia stated that these individuals had facilitated their own detention by engaging in such activities and called for their handover to Georgia’s legitimate authorities. President Salome Zourabichvili later called his statement “shameful.” In response, Odisharia claimed that the TV channel “Pirveli” intentionally misrepresented his words “out of personal animosity.” The State Security Service reported that efforts are underway to secure the release of the detainees.

● The State Security Service also reported that another Georgian citizen was detained by Russian military forces in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone. The EU monitoring mission’s “hotline” has been activated, and the information has been communicated to international partners.

● Natia Mezvrishvili, an MP from the opposition party “For Georgia – Gakharia,” stated that the prosecutor’s office does not intend to investigate her complaint regarding “threatening statements made by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.” Mezvrishvili warned that “if an attack occurs following Papuashvili’s threats, he, along with the prosecutor’s office, will be held accountable.”

● Giorgi Vashadze, one of the leaders of the opposition bloc “Unity,” stated, “Our victory in the elections will mean visa-free entry to the U.S., more American investments, and more jobs. Relations with the U.S. will be restored.”

● Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the opposition party “Lelo,” declared, “Our choice is Europe, not Russia, which killed our citizens and seized our territories! Soon, we will see a frightened Bidzina Ivanishvili sitting in a bulletproof aquarium. What a disgrace—Georgia has never had a capitulating government before.”

● Journalist Gela Mtivlishvili reported that on August 29, 30, and 31, the Constitutional Court will hold hearings on his lawsuit and three others filed against the “foreign agents” law—by the President of Georgia, NGOs, and opposition MPs. According to a notice he received, all the lawsuits have been combined into a single proceeding. Here’s the main information on why the “foreign agents” law is considered anti-democratic and has sparked protests

📷 In the photo, Bidzina Ivanishvili is speaking from behind a bulletproof podium.

● Today, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will embark on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan. High-level talks and the first session of the Supreme Interstate Council are scheduled.

● “Azerbaijan’s official application to join BRICS may be considered at the summit in Kazan in October,” said Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs.

● Azerbaijan has invited Armenia to participate in the international environmental forum COP29, which will be held in Baku in November. Deputy Minister of Energy and Executive Director of COP29, Elnur Sultanov, announced that over 50 heads of state and government have already confirmed their participation in the forum.

● Azerbaijan and Starlink discussed the organization of satellite broadband internet. The talks were held between the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, and Rebecca Slick Hunter, Director of Global Licensing and New Markets at Starlink.

● A pro-Western protest took place outside the Belarusian embassy in Yerevan. Politicians, angered by Belarusian President Lukashenko’s statement that “Armenia is of no use to anyone except us,” threw potatoes and tomatoes at the embassy’s gates and doors.

● The chargé d’affaires of Armenia was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry following the protest at the Belarusian diplomatic mission in Yerevan. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated that Armenia has an obligation to ensure the safety of the embassy, its property, and its diplomatic staff. They also noted that Armenian law enforcement had taken “clearly insufficient protective measures.”

● The head of the Goris community has been barred from holding public office for five years. He was handed a court ruling, fined 700,000 drams (approximately $200,000), and must serve a 1.5-year probation period. Arushanyan was arrested in 2021 for abuse of power, complicity in fraud, and other charges. While in custody, he was re-elected as mayor of the community. He was released in 2022.

● Fifty-eight cases of West Nile fever have been reported in Armenia. The Ministry of Health reports that 41 infected individuals have been hospitalized, four of whom are in serious condition.

Photo: Ruben Poghosyan

● The ruling “Georgian Dream” party has released an extensive policy statement urging voters to support them in the parliamentary elections on October 26. The statement emphasizes the importance of the party obtaining a constitutional majority in the parliament and provides arguments for why this is necessary. Specifically, the party plans to:

• Initiate a “legal process to declare the United National Movement (founded by Mikheil Saakashvili) and all its satellites and successor parties outside the constitutional framework.”
• Pass a law “on the protection of family values.” This bill has been harshly criticized by local and Western human rights advocates for significant violations of the rights of individuals within the LGBT community.
• Amend the constitution “to restore Georgia’s territorial integrity peacefully,” including “adjusting the country’s territorial governance structure to align with new realities.”
• Reiterate that “the opposition is carrying out tasks dictated by foreign forces.”

● “Georgian Dream is in a panic” – follow this link for a collection of opinions from leading Georgian experts on the ruling party’s policy statement

● Mikheil Saakashvili: “[Oligarch, considered the shadow ruler of Georgia] Ivanishvili has decided to ban the United National Movement party. This challenge should not go unanswered. The National Movement is part of a stellar [political] alliance that is growing stronger every day.”

● The ruling party has launched a campaign against Supreme Court Judge Eka Areshidze, who is not part of the so-called “judge clan” loyal to the authorities. In its lengthy policy statement, “Georgian Dream” described the ruling in the high-profile Horava Street murder case in Tbilisi as “suspicious and unclear.” “This ruling was followed by an attempt to overthrow the government,” the ruling party claims. Independent experts and lawyers have repeatedly stated that such assertions by the authorities are evidence that the courts in Georgia are not independent.

● Public attention is focused on three officials who have taken charge of the new department created to enforce the “foreign agents” law, which has faced strong opposition from civil society and all independent media in Georgia. The United States, the European Union, and leaders of European countries have also criticized it harshly. The West has significantly reduced direct funding to the Georgian government and imposed sanctions because of this law. In the photo below are the three leaders of the controversial department: its head, 32-year-old Sandro Kirvalidze; head of the Foreign Agents Registration Department, Tinatin Gugunishvili; and head of the Foreign Agents Financial Declarations Monitoring Service, Irakli Kerwalishvili.

● “From late April to June, unknown individuals attacked more than a dozen activists and politicians in Georgia, but not a single crime has been investigated. This is likely done intentionally,” says a sharply critical report on Georgia published by Human Rights Watch. “This only heightens the already polarized political process and increases the risk of further violence ahead of the parliamentary elections in October,” HRW writes, calling on Georgian authorities to investigate the attacks and repeal the “foreign agents” law.

● The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has criticized a court decision that rejected the opposition party “Lelo’s” lawsuit against the Central Election Commission (CEC) over changes to the lottery rules for distributing the duties of election commission members. Previously, the lottery was held on election day. However, the CEC has now decided that it will occur no later than seven days before the vote. GYLA argues that the CEC can only alter these deadlines, set by the Election Code, in exceptional cases where compliance with the law is impossible, which is not the case here.

● Noted politician Khatia Dekanoidze, who was previously an ally of Mikheil Saakashvili, has rejoined the “United National Movement” party after leaving last year due to disagreements with its leadership. Dekanoidze stated that the primary political task is to fight Bidzina Ivanishvili and expressed confidence in victory.

● The Georgian airline Georgia Airways will begin flights to another city in Russia—Novosibirsk—at the end of September. The airline currently operates flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

● The State Security Service announced that it conducted a special operation in Batumi with American colleagues, resulting in the arrest of a U.S. citizen wanted for a serious crime involving a minor.

● Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has been fined 100,000 drams (about $250), according to the Anti-Corruption Commission. It was revealed that in 2022, Papikyan, while serving as chairman of the ruling Civil Contract Party, violated Article 23 of the Law on Parties (which mandates cashless payments) by cashing out over 11 million drams (approximately $28,500).

● “The statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry has caused genuine regret and doubt in Armenia about Russia’s constructive involvement in the process of normalizing relations between Yerevan and Baku,” said Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, commenting on accusations made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov had previously claimed that Armenia is sabotaging the development of regional communications. “Yerevan has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to the peace agenda and will do everything in its power to ensure its successful implementation,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry stated.

● The 2nd World Armenian Summit will be held in Yerevan from September 17 to 20. The summit will feature 180 speakers and moderators from 25 countries, with a total of 1,000 participants from 55 nations expected to attend.

● A social restaurant for the elderly has opened in Yerevan. Pensioners can dine here for just 280 drams, which is less than one dollar.

● Sona Krkyasharyan has become the European blitz chess champion among girls under 14. The athlete scored 14.5 points out of a possible 18, surpassing her Croatian competitor.

● Azerbaijan has officially applied for BRICS membership, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

● Russia has welcomed Azerbaijan’s decision to join BRICS. “We will continue to support this endeavor, but a clear mechanism for accepting new BRICS members has not yet been developed. However, I believe this will be achieved in the coming years,” said Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.

● Peace talks aimed at resolving the situation in Ukraine could take place in Baku, writes Turkish political analyst Engin Özer. He believes that after Putin’s visit, Zelensky may also visit Baku in the near future. “Both sides trust Azerbaijan, and in the end, this could create an excellent platform for peace negotiations by the end of this year,” Özer stated.

● Lawyer Yashar Agazade has been detained in Baku. He is accused of extorting money from four individuals. Agazade was formerly the editor of the newspaper “Mukhalifet” (“Opposition”).

● Azerbaijan has the necessary facilities for diagnosing and treating monkeypox, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. The WHO has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

● The football club “Qarabağ” lost 0:3 to “Dinamo Zagreb” in Croatia in the first match of the UEFA Champions League playoffs. The return match will take place in a week in Baku.

Photo: Shirvan National Park, photo by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

● U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair, Senator Ben Cardin: “The ruling party in Georgia has introduced a bill to revoke LGBTQ+ rights. This would violate the right to freedom of assembly and further undermine trust in the Georgian government’s commitment to democracy.”

● “If anyone needs to reassess relations between Georgia and Ukraine, it’s the Ukrainian government,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, commenting on remarks made by Ukraine’s temporary chargé d’affaires in Georgia, Mykhailo Kharishin, who explained the reasons for recalling Ukraine’s ambassador from Georgia in March last year. Kharishin explained to journalists the reasons behind Ukraine’s recall of its ambassador from Georgia in March last year: “At that time, a presidential decree was being prepared to appoint a new ambassador, and suddenly, the head of the Georgian government started making unclear statements.” Kharishin added, “It seems that someone is trying to damage Georgian-Ukrainian relations.” Kobakhidze reiterated that “the Ukrainian government urged the Georgian government to open a second front.”  

● Justice Minister Rati Bregadze: “The opposition’s alliance ahead of the October parliamentary elections is a club of expired terrorists. They are gathering the scattered parts of the former ‘United National Movement’ (the ruling party during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency), but it will be as ‘successful’ as trying to create something new from the fragments of an exploded grenade.”

● The Georgian government purchased Russian EFKO oil for the Georgian army in June 2024 without announcing a tender, according to the Liberty Institute. The supplier was the Georgian Distribution Marketing Company, whose three shareholders—Gocha Darchiashvili, Uta Maziashvili, and Vladimir Darchiashvili—each donated 60,000 lari (approximately $22,500) to the ruling Georgian Dream party in 2017.

● Companies owned by Tskaltubo City Council member Jeyran Omanadze, from the ruling party, have won tenders totaling 45 million GEL (approximately $16.7 million), according to the NGO Waste Detector. The organization reports that 27 million GEL has already been transferred to the accounts of the deputy’s companies.

● According to Transparency International Georgia, the Ministry of Justice rented space for the new House of Justice in Batumi from a company owned by Giorgi Chkonia, a businessman with close ties to the government and a major donor to the ruling party. Chkonia holds shares in 20 companies and manages three. He has been actively involved in government procurement, earning 335,638,719 GEL (approximately $125.25 million) from 2011 to 2023.

● Minister of Culture Tea Tsulukiani: Oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, considered the country’s shadow ruler, “has been, is, and after October 27 [after the parliamentary elections], will remain the person who ensures stability and peace in Georgia.” She dismissed the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) report, which claimed that Ivanishvili funded his campaign with money from Russian activities, as a “pseudo-study.”

● Georgia has taken a 30 million euro loan from France for 20 years to complete the water supply system project in Khashuri and nearby settlements – Ministry of Finance.

● President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has been invited to participate in the 4th Crimea Platform Summit, which will take place on September 11 in Kyiv.

● Ongoing controversy surrounds the upcoming Georgia-Czech Republic football match on September 7. Initially planned for Tbilisi’s main stadium Dynamo, the match was moved to the smaller Mikheil Meskhi Stadium. The Georgian Football Federation claims Dynamo is too worn out, but sports circles believe the authorities are punishing businessman Roman Pipia, who manages the stadium under a lease, for his open criticism of the “foreign agents” law. Read more here

In the photo: Tbilisi’s “Dynamo” stadium, drone view.

● The Prosecutor General’s Office is seeking the confiscation of 14 properties and $9 million from the brother of former President Serzh Sargsyan, according to Armenian Public Television. This includes a three-story mansion on Tumanyan Street and three additional homes in central Yerevan, 10 properties in the Kotayk Province, and 4 vehicles. All the properties and vehicles have been seized.

● Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated: “We support the swift conclusion of a peace treaty and the unblocking of communications. Unfortunately, in terms of communications through Armenia’s Syunik region, it is the Armenian leadership that is sabotaging the agreement signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind such a stance.”

● “The CSTO’s commitments to Armenia remain unchanged; the country has no alternative stability guarantors other than this organization and Russia,” said Mikael Agasandyan from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s CIS Department.

● Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan believes that fines for violating building regulations should be increased. He cites statistics showing that in the past two weeks alone, 80 protocols have been issued for illegal construction and land grabs, and 13 for operating buildings without the necessary permits.

Photo: Ruben Poghosyan

● Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Baku has concluded. Read more here

● “The new situation creates new opportunities for establishing a lasting and long-term peace in the South Caucasus. The stability and security of the entire South Caucasus region largely depend on close cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan,” said Ilham Aliyev.

● Measures have been strengthened at airports and other border crossing points to prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus, according to the customs committee.

Photo: An oil pump in Baku.

● The Republican Party and the organization “Activists for the Future” have joined the opposition bloc “Coalition for Change,” which already includes the parties “Ahali,” “Droa,” and “Girchi – More Freedom.” The participants state that “this political alliance unites forces to advance Georgia on its European path.”

● The “European Georgia” party has joined a bloc with the “United National Movement” (founded by Mikheil Saakashvili) and “Strategy Aghmashenebeli.”

● Leaders of this bloc, called “Unity – National Movement,” Tina Bokuchava and Giorgi Vashadze, are on an extended visit to the U.S., aiming to “strengthen relations.” Yesterday and today, they are attending the Democratic Party convention in Chicago, where Kamala Harris will be officially presented as the party’s candidate for the November presidential elections.

In total, the opposition has formed three political blocs in preparation for Georgia’s crucial parliamentary elections on October 26. The ruling “Georgian Dream” party has also formed an electoral bloc, merging with its satellite “Power of the People.” Additionally, pro-Russian political groups, led by the “Alliance of Patriots,” have formed a separate bloc. About 20 other parties, which have not yet joined any bloc, also plan to participate in the elections.

● The government has taken assets and management rights of Georgia’s largest concert venues—the Black Sea Arena in the Adjara region and the Philharmonic in Tbilisi—from the Ministry of Culture. Both venues have been transferred to the Georgian government with 100% of the assets and management rights, free of charge. The decree states that both venues are transferred for the duration of their existence and will be combined into a single structure.

● The opposition TV company “Mtavari Arkhi” was fined 2,500 lari (about $1,000) for broadcasting videos criticizing the “foreign agents” law. The commission considered this political advertising. The TV channel plans to appeal the decision in court, arguing that it is a restriction of freedom of speech.

● In the mountainous region of Tusheti, at the Abano Pass, a memorial was unveiled for Giorgi Antsukelidze, a National Hero of Georgia and a local resident. Yesterday would have been his 40th birthday. He was captured during the August 2008 war, tortured, and executed in Tskhinvali at the age of 23. The torture was filmed and circulated online in January 2009.

● Rescuers on the Black Sea coast received six new high-speed boats equipped with deep-water scanners—Ministry of Internal Affairs.

● Tato Kotetishvili’s film “Holy Electricity” won the “Golden Leopard” award at the Locarno International Film Festival. Set in Tbilisi, the film is both humorous and sad, beginning with the main character Gonga and his cousin finding a suitcase full of rusty crosses. “I dedicate this film to the Georgian film community, where there are many talented people. But it’s a very difficult time in Georgia; most creative people in the film industry are boycotting the National Film Center for its misguided policies. Because of this, many important films cannot be made. I hope we can end this negativity soon, with good results,” said the director at the award ceremony.

Trailer for Tato Kotetishvili’s film “Holy Electricity”:

● Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Baku for a two-day visit. Yesterday, he held an informal meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the “Zagulba” residence near Baku. Experts suggest that the main topic of the visit will be discussions on the re-export of Russian gas through Azerbaijan, including to Europe. Read more here

● The Ministry of Defense reported that Azerbaijani army positions in the Julfa district of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, near the Armenian border, came under fire.

● Polad Bulbuloglu announced the end of his long diplomatic mission in Moscow. “I worked in Moscow for 18.5 years, which is a long time for diplomatic service. Now, it would be more appropriate for me to represent my native Shusha and the people of the region in parliament. I hope to be elected, and it would be a great honor to be the first deputy after the liberation of Karabakh,” Bulbuloglu said.

● “Azerbaijan is interested in joining BRICS,” said Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu.

● An amphibious plane from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has started firefighting operations in Turkey.

● “Russia is ready to continue supporting the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” says the Kremlin.

●  The Union of Armenians of Russia has asked Vladimir Putin to raise the issue of Armenians held in Azerbaijan, including former leaders of the now-defunct NKR, during his talks with Ilham Aliyev.

● The Armenian Church celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the five major feasts, accompanied by the blessing of grapes (as seen in the photo). The ritual symbolizes the Virgin Mary as the vine and Christ as the fruit. Grapes produce wine, which the Savior compared to His blood before the crucifixion.

● Armenian chess player Alex Saakyan has become the European rapid chess champion (under 18).

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from August 12-16, 2024