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

● Early this morning, another group of 35 displaced persons (153 individuals) departed for their permanent place of residence in Fizuli. As of today, Fizuli provides accommodation for 562 families (2120 people).

● “All the weaponry Armenia used against Azerbaijan was provided to them free of charge,” stated President Ilham Aliyev during the opening ceremony of the 11th Global Baku Forum. He noted that “during the recent counter-terrorism operation, military ammunition, heavy weaponry, and armored vehicles worth around $1 billion were destroyed or seized, while during the Second Karabakh War, it amounted to approximately $5 billion.”

“The question arises: where does Armenia get so much money? Of course, it is clear that all the weaponry they used against us was given to them for free,” Aliyev added.

● “PACE is biased against Azerbaijan,” stated the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev.

● The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia will meet in Baku today. They will discuss cooperation issues and the prospects for strengthening relations within the trilateral format.

● Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze begins his visit to Azerbaijan today.

● The construction of the “Khudafarin” and “Gyz Galasy” hydro complexes on the Araz River is 96% complete. These hydro complexes will allow Azerbaijan and Iran to jointly utilize the water and energy resources of the Araz River.

●  The Agdam football club “Karabakh” lost to the local “Bayer” in Germany with a score of 2:3 in the return match of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16. The first game in Baku ended in a draw – 2:2. As a result of the two matches, the German team advanced to the quarter-finals.

● The resolution passed by the European Parliament should be the subject of broad public discussion to determine Armenia’s future direction, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

*** On March 12, the European Parliament adopted a resolution proposing to consider the possibility of granting candidate status to Armenia for EU membership.

● The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia denied opposition MPs access to the latest proposals from Baku, according to Gegam Manukyan, a deputy from the “Hayastan” faction, who wrote about it on social media.

He said the faction representatives had requested access to the proposals on February 23 but were denied. The ministry justified its decision by stating that “it would disrupt the negotiation process and could lead to arbitrary and erroneous interpretation of the document.”

● Five people have been detained during searches at the Yerevan City Hall, with one of them being implicated in a bribery case, according to the Anti-Corruption Court.

● The wife of Nikol Pashinyan has become the executive director of the charitable foundation “My Step.”

● Vardges Surenyants’ painting “Salome” (1907) (pictured) is returning to the exhibition of the National Gallery of Armenia after four years of restoration.

● Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will visit Armenia next week after his visit to Azerbaijan, as reported by the First Channel of Georgian TV.

● Transparency International’s Georgian branch has released a critical report assessing the government’s progress in implementing the European Commission’s recommendations on judiciary reform. The report suggests that the Georgian authorities’ rhetoric indicates “a lack of commitment to implementing crucial recommendations for judicial system reform”.

*The 2023 EU enlargement policy report, recently published by the European Commission, urges the Georgian leadership to establish integrity checks for all top positions in the judiciary, involving international experts. However, the ruling Georgian Dream party has labelled this proposal as “unconstitutional”.

● The EU Council’s press service has announced new conditions for the suspension of visa-free regimes for third countries, including Georgia. These conditions include factors such as non-compliance with EU visa policy, hybrid threats and “significant deterioration in external relations” between Brussels and third countries, particularly concerning fundamental freedoms and human rights.

● Georgian citizens Giorgi Meladze and Dito Korinteli, who were unlawfully detained in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone by Russian military forces in November last year, have been released and are now on the territory under the control of Georgia’s central authorities, the Georgian State Security Service reports.

● Russian airline Red Wings plans to launch flights to Georgia from new destinations, including Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, and Grozny. The airline has received approval from Russian aviation authorities to operate flights, and now requires permission from the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency to launch them.

There has been no comment from the Georgian side yet. Currently, Red Wings operates flights to Georgian airports from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Kazan, and Yekaterinburg.

● NATO Secretary-General announced a visit to Georgia. “I have visited Georgia several times, and I will visit Georgia again soon to further strengthen our partnership,” Georgian TV Pirveli cites Stoltenberg as saying.

●  The mother of activist Lazare Grigoriadis, detained during protests against the foreign agent law last March, claims she is being denied visits with her son. According to Tamta Kalandadze, she was last able to visit her son in prison in early January, and since then, despite numerous attempts, the prison authorities have denied her entry, citing “procedural issues.”

● A citizen of Iran was detained at Tbilisi Airport for attempting to smuggle 10 packages of heroin inside his body. He faces up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.

● Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused several major Western donors of “backing efforts to undermine democratic structures in Georgia”: USAID, SIDA, European Foundation for Democracy, and National Endowment for Democracy. “They finance Georgian NGOs that seek to undermine the independence of Georgia’s judiciary,” Papuashvili stated. This accusation comes in response to a joint statement by five Georgian NGOs urging authorities to implement the Venice Commission’s recommended procedure for verifying judges’ integrity. “Otherwise, the government directly obstructs Georgia’s European integration process,” the statement asserts. Read more here

● Mamuka Mdinaradze, one of the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party, cynically commented on the National Movement, which is considered the leading opposition party: “If I were them, I wouldn’t mention dignity, especially with someone like Mikheil Saakashvili as their party leader. I wouldn’t risk getting into disputes with representatives of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team (the oligarch, honorary chairman of the ruling party, is seen as the de facto ruler of Georgia). And I wouldn’t allow some of their members into the yard without their parents’ supervision until they’re 18-20 years old.”

● “The US denied a visa to David Kezerashvili (founder of the popular independent TV channel ‘Formula’ and former Minister of Defense during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency) because he is running a negative campaign against the ruling Georgian Dream,” Formula reported, citing a statement from Kezerashvili’s representative. Kezerashvili filed a lawsuit against the State Department regarding this decision. According to documents from the US District Court of Columbia, he was denied the visa because he is under investigation for large-scale fraud and money laundering on an international level.

● An employee of his office, Levan Papava, has filed a lawsuit against Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani, alleging discrimination for expressing differing views on several matters and demanding compensation for moral damages.

● Two defendants in the high-profile case involving the kidnapping and premeditated murder of Roin Shavadze, a brigade sergeant in the armed forces and a participant in the August 2008 war, have been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

● The government has transferred an additional four parcels of state land to the Georgian Orthodox Church at a symbolic price of 1 lari each. For further insights, we recommend reading the JAMnews investigative report titled “How the church became the most influential and wealthy institution in Georgia.”

● The National Environmental Agency of Georgia, in collaboration with the Swiss company GEOTEST AG, is commencing a study of 22 glacial gorges in Georgia to address the risks associated with global warming.

● Zakaria (Shakro) Kalashov, a notorious mafia figure from Tbilisi, was released early from prison in Krasnodar, Russia. He had been convicted of extorting a significant sum from the owner of the Moscow restaurant Elements.

● The European Parliament passed a resolution endorsing Armenia’s candidacy for EU membership.

● “Moscow is alarmed by the ultimatum-like, and sometimes offensive, rhetoric of the Armenian leadership,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova regarding Armenia’s decision to “freeze” its participation in the CSTO.

● Unknown individuals in Yerevan planted explosives near an office of the ruling party on Gulbenkian Street. A few days earlier, another explosive device was discovered on the same street, near the office of pro-government deputy Gurgen Arsenyan. An investigation has been launched, with two suspects identified and two others arrested.

● Goris Mayor Arush Arushanyan had his driver’s license suspended for one year due to driving under the influence. His vehicle bears “gold” license plates, according to the crime news website Shamshyan.com.

● The administration of the Yerevan State Conservatory named after Komitas, along with students, has initiated a signature collection campaign against the program aimed at optimizing and consolidating creative universities.

● Louis Bono, Senior Advisor to the US State Department for Caucasus negotiations, is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan this week to discuss efforts toward achieving a lasting peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. His visit to Baku follows a stop in Yerevan.

● Albanian President Bajram Begay will visit Azerbaijan, where he will participate in the XI Global Baku Forum today.

● The car belonging to the Georgian Embassy was involved in an accident in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh region, resulting in injuries to two individuals.

● Azerbaijan is considering reducing the retirement age for men responsible for childcare. An amendment to the “On Labor Pensions” law proposes a five-year reduction in retirement age, even in cases of remarriage. Currently, the retirement age for men in Azerbaijan is 65 years.

● Azerbaijani deputies are suggesting a review of the criteria for categorizing families with many children. They propose redefining “large families” to include those with three or more children, down from the current threshold of five children. Additionally, they suggest reassessing benefits provided to such families.

● Presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, inaugurated the Kurmangazy Children’s Creativity Center in Fizuli, initiated by Kazakhstan. They later visited Shusha.

● Radiologist Aydin Aliyev, a relative of Toplum TV’s arrested co-founder Alesker Mammadli, was terminated from his job after releasing surveillance footage of Mammadli’s arrest.

● Two police officers died in Karabakh due to mishandling of service weapons, reported the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

● The state security service assured that there is no threat to schools in Baku despite rumors circulating on social media.

● The Prime Minister of Georgia held discussions with the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the current regional situation.

● Georgia is negotiating with Azerbaijan to resume oil transportation through the Baku-Supsa pipeline, with operations potentially starting this year.

● The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia will visit Baku to participate in a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.

● Strategic cooperation discussions took place in Tbilisi between the Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan and the Minister of Defense of Georgia.

● The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Georgia are scheduled to meet in Baku on March 15 for trilateral discussions.

● Israel proposes an artificial rain project to Azerbaijan to address water shortages.

● Azerbaijani football club “Qarabagh” traveled to Germany for the UEFA Europa League match against “Bayer” in Leverkusen.

● Azerbaijan will host matches of the European Women’s Volleyball Championship in 2026, as per the decision of the European Volleyball Confederation.

● US intelligence predicts that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan will persist in 2024, despite Baku’s control over Karabakh.

● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Armenia would withdraw from the CSTO if the organization fails to address Yerevan’s concerns. Read more here

● Starting September 1, the fare for public transportation in Yerevan will rise. Additionally, unlimited passes for all modes of transport will be offered for durations of 30, 90 days, and one year. Prices will be 8,800 drams (approximately $20) per month, 23,600 drams (about $60) for three months, and 88,000 drams (approximately $220) per year.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shared a revealing TikTok video featuring his WhatsApp conversation with former Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan, dated November 14, 2021. The video suggests that while the minister assured Pashinyan of calm at the border with Azerbaijan in the morning, he failed to respond to numerous messages from the prime minister during a period of heightened border tensions later in the day. Pashinyan’s messages criticized the minister for his apparent irresponsibility and demanded clarification.

● The Prime Minister of Georgia initiated a meeting with the ambassadors of Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss the situation in the region.

● Ombudsman Anahit Manasyan condemned the Azerbaijani media’s recording and dissemination of interviews with unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh leaders in captivity, citing it as a violation of international law. She emphasized that individuals in this status should not be exploited for public interest when they cannot freely express their views.

● Deputy Levon Kocharyan, son of former President Robert Kocharyan, was permitted by the court to leave the country upon posting bail of 2 million drams (approximately $5,000). He intends to travel to Geneva to attend the 148th Assembly of the Interparliamentary Union from March 22-25.

● “Georgian NGOs have disappointed the United States, leading to a reduction in funding for Georgia by $8 million starting next year,” stated Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. However, the State Department has not made any such assumptions. Read more here

● Nika Gvaramia, the leader of the newly created Akhali party, stated, “We are a centrist party, with a slight right-wing bias. The National Movement (founded by Mikheil Saakashvili, and of which Gvaramia was an active supporter in the past) is now very far left. This is evident from their statements on prices, pensions, missing oil packs, and liters of gasoline. I’m not joking; I’m simply observing an extremely sharp leftward turn of this party.”

● The United States has denied a visa to David Kezerashvili, former Minister of Defense of Georgia, founder of the Formula television company, and businessman, citing allegations of money laundering. Kezerashvili has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department.

● Former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava remarked, “As long as the main opposition leader, Mikheil Saakashvili, remains in prison, the elections will not be competitive.”

● Work has commenced at the renowned ancient monastery complex of Gelati, located near Kutaisi (pictured), with the participation of an international team of restorers. The committee overseeing the rehabilitation reported the arrival of specialists from the UK, Italy, and Germany in Georgia. The damage to the paintings within the complex is reported to be substantial. The society holds the Ministry of Culture and Minister Teya Tsulukiani personally responsible for the current situation. Gelati is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a new restoration project has been approved by the organization.

● The government has announced that the draft concept of constitutional reforms is ready. The proposed changes include alterations to the form of government, presidential powers, and the implementation of residency and citizenship requirements for certain positions.

● Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Hakob Vardanyan stated that there are indications suggesting that the gas price for Armenia will remain unchanged until 2031.

● Yerevan extradited a wanted Chinese citizen to Beijing.

● A representative from the State Department disclosed that the United States plans to allocate $52 million to enhance democracy and the economy of Armenia.

● The Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an alliance led by Russia and including Armenia, expressed hopes for the political prudence of Armenian leadership. He stated that ‘while Yerevan remains an ally, certain events and sentiments within Armenian elites are concerning.’

● In Yerevan, the car of lawyer Alexander Kochubaev, representing deputy Levon Kocharyan (son of former President Robert Kocharyan), was robbed. “We would have treated this as ordinary theft if Kochubaev’s ‘precious’ briefcase had not been stolen, which became the subject of media discussions in recent days. The lawyer’s missing laptop contained materials from high-profile cases,” said his colleague Erik Aleksanyan.

● Today, Azerbaijan observes “El Charshyanbyasi” (Wind Tuesday), marking the third of four Tuesdays before the Novruz holiday, celebrated on March 20-21. As a result, the country has declared an eight-day holiday from March 20 to 27.

● The quarantine measures in Azerbaijan have been prolonged until July 1, with the country’s land borders remaining closed since March 2020.

● Concerns arose in Azerbaijan after reports on social media suggested possible terrorist threats targeting schools and a shopping center in Baku on March 12. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating the matter, with reinforced police presence at Baku schools as a precaution.

● “The peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan will conclude with the signing of a peace agreement. A difficult and dark chapter of history will be turned,” stated President Ilham Aliyev in a discussion with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan during his visit to Baku.

● Baku and Astana finalized nine agreements following high-level talks, including plans for the gradual increase of Kazakh oil transit through Azerbaijan.

● An Armenian Armed Forces drone was intercepted in the Tovuz direction by Azerbaijani defense forces, attempting reconnaissance over Azerbaijani army positions.

● Russian Embassy staff in Azerbaijan paid respects at a memorial for fallen Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh, where they are facilitating early mobile voting for the Russian presidential elections.

● The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Azerbaijan is investigating the distribution of books related to Armenia by unidentified individuals in Baku, discovered in a store on Bashir Safaroglu Street.

● Azerbaijan has extradited two men wanted by Uzbekistan following their apprehension.

● The Georgian prosecutor’s office has requested the authorities of Germany and Belgium to arrest and extradite former Minister of Justice Zurab Adeishvili to Georgia. The request stems from a transcript of a Bundestag meeting published on its website, revealing Adeishvili’s presence alongside Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin, for whom he serves as an adviser. Read more here

● David Arakhamia, Chairman of the parliamentary faction of Ukraine’s ruling party, responded to Georgia’s demand to transfer two high-ranking Ukrainian leaders to Tbilisi for serving criminal sentences. “This will help normalize relations between the two countries,” stated the Georgian authorities. However, Arakhamia named three other conditions for this: 1. Release Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili from prison and permit his return to Kyiv. 2. Cease direct flights with Russia, as demanded by the Georgian people. 3. Halt assistance to Russia, the aggressor country, in evading sanctions.

● The Supreme Court of Georgia considers detrimental the recommendation of the Venice Commission to introduce the vetting procedure. This proposal entails forming a special commission of international experts empowered to scrutinize the integrity of judges and make determinations about them. The court perceives such scrutiny as undermining judicial independence, fostering perpetual courtroom tension, and eroding public trust in the justice system. Amending the law on common courts is one of the 9 recommendations that Georgia must fulfill to initiate the process of joining the European Union. Learn more about all the recommendations here

● Mikhail Sarjveladze, a Member of Parliament from the ruling party, has been appointed Minister of Health. He has never had any involvement in medicine, but Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that before making this decision, he consulted with his political team and the medical community for a week.

● Two prominent politicians have announced the formation of a new party, “Akhali” (“New”): former chairperson of the United National Movement Nika Melia and founder of the popular independent television company Mtavari Nika Gvaramia. Read more here

● Nika Melia publicly stated that the new party unequivocally rejects cooperation with David Kezerashvili. Kezerashvili, a former Minister of Defense during Mikheil Saakashvili’s presidency, founded the independent television company “Formula” and is alleged to be a sponsor of the United National Movement party. Currently, he is under international investigation for his alleged involvement in orchestrating a fraudulent “call center” scheme that extorted hundreds of thousands of euros from European residents.

● A former representative of the Lagodekhi mayor in the Kakheti region was arrested on charges of fraudulently acquiring state property.

● In Poland, a Georgian citizen who killed his wife after years of systematic violence has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Additionally, he is mandated to pay 50,000 euros to each of his three minor children, who, with the assistance of Georgian non-governmental organizations, were relocated to Tbilisi to reside with their deceased mother’s parents.

● The Shota Rustaveli Theater is preparing a musical performance titled “The Color of Pomegranates” in commemoration of the centenary anniversary of the renowned director Sergo Parajanov. This production is sponsored by TBC Bank and the Embassies of Armenia and France.

● Today marks the beginning of the two-day visit of president Kasym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. Several documents will be signed, and Tokayev will visit Fizuli, where he will participate in the opening ceremony of the Center for Children’s Creativity named after Kurmangazy.

● Akif Gurbanov, co-founder of Toplum TV, and Ruslan Izzetli, co-founder of Platform III Republic, who were detained on March 8, have been sentenced to four months of preliminary arrest.

● “Azerbaijan insists on the liberation of four non-exclave Azerbaijani villages occupied by Armenia. The issue of liberating four exclave Azerbaijani villages will also be addressed during the delimitation process,” stated the office of deputy prime minister Shahin Mustafayev.

● Archimandrite Alexy, the secretary of the Baku administration of the Russian Orthodox Church, conducted the divine liturgy at the Bulun Church of the Most Holy Mother of God in the village of Nij (in the Gabala region). In Azerbaijan, this church is regarded as an ancient Albanian church; it was restored and transferred to the Udins, one of the indigenous peoples of Azerbaijan, several years ago.

● Turkey and the United States have pledged to collaborate on a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, aiming to “achieve a balanced and lasting peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.” This statement comes from the seventh meeting of the Turkey-US Strategic Mechanism.

● The UK acknowledges Armenia’s decision to freeze membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and stands ready to offer support against threats from Russia, stated the UK’s deputy defense minister James Heappie.

● India has established an air corridor to Armenia for exports of strategic importance. The HALCON working group has been formed for this purpose to enhance logistics between the two countries, according to reports from the Indian agency IADN.

● On March 19, the European Parliament will host a conference titled “Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan: The situation three years after the adoption of the relevant resolution of the European Parliament.” This was announced by the representation of Armenia in the EU.

● In the city of Jvari, Tsalenjikha district in Western Georgia, a banner depicting the Georgian warrior Levan Pipia, who is fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russian aggression (pictured), was splattered with red paint. Mayor Gia Kharchilava of Tsalenjikha stated that groups aligned with the ruling party are responsible for this act. Kharchilava is the sole opposition mayor in Georgia. Here’s a story about Tsalenjikha, which, after local elections in 2021, began to be dubbed the “Georgian island of freedom” 

● Two more Georgian fighters, Nodar Nasirov and Giorgi Gogiashvili, died in battles in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, over 60 Georgian fighters have been killed, most of them members of the now-famous Georgian Legion.

● “Attacks and violence are unacceptable; we condemn the use of religion and faith by anyone for their own interests,” stated the state agency for religious affairs regarding the confrontation between the Orthodox and Muslim communities in Adigeni, Samtskhe-Javakheti. Priests and a group of Orthodox Christians had aggressively disrupted the Friday prayers at the house of a local Muslim resident. Today, a reconciliatory meeting between the two communities is scheduled, with the participation of local authorities and religious structures. Read more here

● Today marks the final meeting between the political teams of Nika Gvaramia (creator of the popular independent TV channel “Mtavari Arkhi”) and Nika Melia (former leader of the National Movement founded by Mikhil Saakashvili). The outcome of the meeting will determine whether the partnership between the two teams will proceed in the parliamentary elections in October.

● Firefighters and rescuers successfully extracted two teenagers from a 25-meter hole in a gorge in Kakheti. The operation was complex, utilizing special equipment, and both children emerged safe and sound, according to emergency management services.

● Georgian football star Shota Arveladze has stepped down from his role as head coach of the Turkish club Karagumryuk. He made this decision following the team’s 1:5 loss to Trabzonspor.

Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from February March 4-7, 2024