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

●  A powerful march under the slogan “Georgia Chooses the European Union” took place in Tbilisi. Around 200,000 people marched with Georgian and EU flags from five different districts, converging at the central Freedom Square. The event culminated in a concert featuring popular performers. Meanwhile, pro-government TV channels claimed the march was organized by LGBT activists and had a very small turnout.

●  President Salome Zourabichvili addressed the crowd from a specially erected stage. “Nothing is more valuable than freedom and peace. We, the citizens of Georgia, will enter Europe peacefully and with dignity by voting for our European future in the elections on October 26.” She also addressed the presidents of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the EU and the U.S., stating that “Georgia will be the most reliable partner and ally when it joins Europe.”

●  Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and other representatives of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party held a separate event. On the shores of Tbilisi Sea, in the residential area, a large new park was officially opened. The mayor announced that the park was built on a 25-hectare reclaimed wetland and features several sports fields, a skate park, and two small lakes. A tunnel and two pedestrian bridges provide easy access to nearby neighborhoods.

●  Events in Moldova are in the spotlight of Georgian media. Following yesterday’s presidential elections, a second round will take place between the current pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, and the former Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is currently under investigation for corruption and abuse of power. Meanwhile, the majority of citizens voted against joining the EU in the simultaneous referendum. President Maia Sandu stated that the dual vote on October 20 took place under unprecedented pressure and interference from Russia.

●  Several clinics across the country have opened free flu vaccination centers. The Ministry of Health reported that 200,000 doses of the WHO-recommended vaccine by Dutch company Abbott Biologicals B.V. have been purchased for the current phase.

●  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that France “cease its destructive activities in the South Caucasus.” “Azerbaijan bases all its actions on international law and justice. It is absurd to claim otherwise, and France has no evidence to support this,” the statement said. Earlier, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated, “France systematically condemns all violations of international law: in Gaza by Israel, in Israel by Hamas, in Lebanon by Israel, in Israel by Hezbollah, in Sudan by the armed forces, in Afghanistan by the Taliban, in Iraq and Syria by the executioners of Yazidis, in Ukraine by Russia, and in Armenia by Azerbaijan.”

●   In Shusha, the first child was born after displaced persons returned to the city, liberated during the second Karabakh war, to live permanently.

The photo was taken on the #Azerbaijani coast of the Caspian Sea. Next to it is a video recorded about 10 years ago, showing the same swings but standing far out in the water. This clearly illustrates how much the Caspian Sea has receded over the years.

● Rudolf Garboyan won gold at the European Youth Boxing Championship in Sofia, defeating Azerbaijani athlete Nijat Guseynov in the final. The Armenian national team has secured five more medals.

● Iranian karateka Ahmad Bagheri visited the Armenian Embassy in Tehran and presented Ambassador Arsen Avakyan with a gold medal he won in Denmark, in memory of his friend Artur Sukiassyan, who died in the 44-day war (pictured). The ambassador promised to pass the medal on to Sukiassyan’s family.

● “Armenia should not sign any documents that define the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan,” stated the “Hayakve” initiative. The group referred to the October 5, 2023 statement signed in Granada by Nikol Pashinyan, which recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including Karabakh, within its 86.6 thousand square kilometers.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 14-18 October, 2024