Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from June 24-28, 2024

● President Salome Zurabishvili: “We are not only winning (in football), we are entering Europe with spirit!” Her social media comment is dedicated to the historic match at the European Championship, in which Georgia defeated Portugal 2-0 and advanced to the round of 16. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also congratulated the team, saying, “The footballers gave us a miracle. Each of them deserves more than just thanks. Besides fighting spirit, we Georgians have football talent, which was proven once again.” The divide between the president and the government was evident here too: they congratulated the team and the country separately, and although both were in the stands in Gelsenkirchen during the match, they sat at different ends of the stadium.

● The Prime Minister announced that the Georgian team had already received 30 million lari (approximately $11 million) as a gift for their victory at Euro 2024 from billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party.

● The Georgian Patriarchate congratulated the team on their victory. “This is proof of what can be achieved through uniting with the diaspora, our joint efforts in striving for a goal,” said Patriarch Ilia II in an address to participants at the forum dedicated to Diaspora Day.

● The European Union Delegation to Georgia published a statement saying, “Georgia’s place is in the European Union, but the country will not be able to move forward if the government’s general course is not changed.” Read more here

● “The West is concerned about the Georgian government’s decisions that are steering the country away from joining the European Union and hopes it will return to this goal,” said Mark Rutte, who is leaving his post as Prime Minister of the Netherlands to become the NATO Secretary General.

● The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution noting issues with democracy in Georgia. The resolution calls on the Georgian parliament to fully and immediately repeal the law on the transparency of foreign influence. The document was supported by 66 delegates, with 4 voting against. Read more here

● “Georgian leaders are blocking difficult reforms necessary for joining the European Union and NATO,” said James O’Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. Read more here

● The Georgian parliament passed a package of bills in the first reading that limits LGBT rights. This includes bans on “registering an alternative marriage union,” adopting children by non-heterosexual couples, conducting gender reassignment surgeries, and holding gatherings or demonstrations to promote same-sex marriages. The initiative was supported by 78 deputies. The opposition did not participate in the discussion and voting on the bill, leading the parliamentary majority to accuse them of “supporting LGBT propaganda.” Read more here

● The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child completed its review of cases of physical and psychological violence against children at the St. Nino boarding school in the town of Ninotsminda, run by the Georgian Orthodox Church. “The state did not fulfill its obligations and did not protect the children, thereby violating its commitments,” the conclusion states. The review was prompted by a complaint filed on behalf of 57 children residing at the school. Instances of violence at this school were first revealed by the public defender in a 2015 report. Nevertheless, in 2016, the institution was re-licensed. Here are the stories shared by former boarding school students and human rights advocates.

● After another round of international discussions in Geneva, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Moscow wants to change the location of this negotiation format. “Switzerland, as a neutral state, has lost this status and is no longer comfortable for Russia and its representatives,” he said. In February this year, Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania stated that Russia wants to move the Geneva talks “to one of the former Soviet countries.”

● “Russia advocates for the restoration of diplomatic relations with Georgia,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. Read more here

● Another Georgian fighter, Amiran Zoidze, was killed in battles with the Russian aggressor in Ukraine near Avdiivka.

● “It’s time to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey and open the joint border for citizens of third countries and those with diplomatic passports,” said Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at a briefing in Estonia.

● “Armenia wants to be part of the European Union,” stated Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan.

● “Georgia is always ready to facilitate constructive communication between Yerevan and Baku, as well as take concrete steps towards mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Tbilisi.

● From July 1, Armenia will increase the number of free lawyers. The government has decided to allocate an additional 70.5 million drams (about $180,000) for public defenders this year.

● Employees of the security service of the former unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) will be given the opportunity to work in the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, including as senior officers. The corresponding project was approved at a government meeting and sent to parliament for discussion and adoption.

● Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II expressed concern about the social problems of Karabakh residents and Armenia’s security challenges. These issues were addressed by the Armenian Patriarch during a meeting with priests from Armenia and the diaspora who arrived for three-week training courses in Etchmiadzin.

● The flag of the Francophonie Games, which will be held in Yerevan in 2027, was officially handed over to Armenia today. A corresponding memorandum was also signed, announced Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan on social media.

● Another caravan of former displaced persons headed to Lachin (Karabakh), with a total of 21 families (65 people) returning home. In total, permanent residence in Lachin has been provided for 534 families (1,971 people).

● The sixth convocation of the Azerbaijani Parliament will complete its work today. Yesterday, the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan deemed the dissolution of parliament and the holding of early elections legal.

● “The Armenian Constitution still contains a clause on territorial claims against Azerbaijan. This is one of the biggest obstacles to peace,” said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

● “Baku has sent Yerevan a new package of proposals for the draft peace agreement. Progress has been made in a positive direction between the parties,” said Jeyhun Bayramov at a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili in Tbilisi.

● “Work on the delimitation of borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues. In the near future, we will witness further positive steps,” stated Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

● The deepening of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia was discussed in Tbilisi by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

● The Minister of Defense traveled to Hungary. Zakir Hasanov will hold several meetings with the military and political leadership of the republic in Budapest and will also visit defense industry companies.

● An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 occurred in southern Azerbaijan. It was felt in the Lankaran, Masalli, and Bilasuvar districts.

● Azerbaijani trucks delivered cargo directly from China to Azerbaijan for the first time. Departing from Alashankou (China), they reached Baku in just six days, traveling via the China-Kazakhstan-Russia-Azerbaijan route.

● The Georgian national football team defeated Portugal 2-0 in a historic match at Euro 2024. The first goal was scored by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the second by Georges Mikautadze. With this result, Georgia advanced to the Round of 16 of the European Championship. Georgia will play against Spain on June 30 in Cologne.

● Cristiano Ronaldo and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia exchanged shirts after the match. “I have Ronaldo’s shirt, and we advanced to the next stage. Today is probably the happiest day of my life. We showed that we are no less than others. Unity made us strong,” Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wrote on social media.

● The US Embassy congratulated Georgia on reaching the Round of 16 of the European Championship. “The Georgian national team continues to demonstrate an unbroken spirit! Congratulations on this stunning victory and excellent game. We celebrate with all Georgian fans,” the embassy wrote in a post on its Facebook page.

● Parliament has begun discussing another controversial bill, also dubbed “Russian,” like the recently passed “foreign agents” law. The new bill, aimed at “banning LGBT propaganda,” is titled “On Family Values and Protection of Minors” and includes amendments to the constitution and existing laws. The Venice Commission has condemned the bill and urged the Georgian authorities to withdraw it. If it proceeds, the commission recommended seven specific amendments, including removing the clause that mentions LGBT alongside incest. Read more here

● Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov arrives in Georgia today on an official visit.

● Fact-checking organizations worldwide have condemned the hostile attitude and acts of violence against fact-checkers in Georgia amid the adoption of the “foreign agents” law. At the 11th GlobalFact conference in Sarajevo, a joint statement was issued stating that “efforts to disseminate reliable information enhance public debate and should never be subject to censorship.”

● Flooding in the second-largest city, Kutaisi, after heavy rains caused the Ogaskura River to overflow. Supermarkets and entrances of multi-story buildings are flooded, and cars are damaged. In the village of Lekhaindrao in the Martvili district of Samegrelo, heavy rains have also caused flooding, submerging residential homes.

● “Russia is ready to move towards restoring diplomatic relations with Georgia. Moscow will support any initiative from Tbilisi in this direction,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, responding to a statement from the little-known Georgian political group “Solidarity for Peace,” which called on the Kremlin to restore diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia.

📷 In the photo: The Georgian national team celebrates a goal.

● The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, stated that Russia seized Nagorno-Karabakh and then handed it over to Azerbaijan. “This happened when we were completely dependent on Russia. Russia came, took Nagorno-Karabakh from us, returned it to Azerbaijan, and then left—that’s the reality. I claim that Russia seized Nagorno-Karabakh. Without Russia’s permission, there would have been no war,” he said in an interview with journalists.

● “Some statements cannot be commented on without a medical degree,” responded Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, to Grigoryan’s remarks.

● PACE adopted a resolution “On the fulfillment of Armenia’s commitments,” reports Ruben Rubinyan, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE. The Parliamentary Assembly appreciates Armenia’s commitment to democratic development in the face of serious security threats and continues to pursue an ambitious reform program, the statement says. The Assembly also noted that “the Armenian authorities have largely achieved their goals by conducting truly democratic elections, gaining public trust.”

● A section of the alternative Khot-Vorotan road in Syunik collapsed due to heavy rains (as seen in the photo). The landslide also damaged the water supply system.

● Armenian wrestler Marat Achemyan (45 kg) became the U17 European champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.

● The Constitutional Court will review President Ilham Aliyev’s request to dissolve parliament and call early elections today. Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were originally scheduled for November but may be moved due to the COP29 conference taking place at the same time.

● James O’Brien, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, will visit Azerbaijan today.

● Azerbaijan received a C-27J Spartan military aircraft from Italy, presented to Ilham Aliyev by Leonardo.

● Baku advised Armenia’s military-political leadership to “abandon dreams of revanchism.” Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev responded to the Armenian Security Council secretary’s statement about “Russia handing over Karabakh to Azerbaijan,” calling it an attempt to shift blame and justify Armenia’s past and present leadership failures.

● “The strength of the Azerbaijani army is important for Georgia, and there is strategic cooperation between the countries,” said Georgia’s First Deputy Defense Minister Paata Patiashvili.

● “There are no problems between Russia and Azerbaijan. We cooperate in all possible areas with complete mutual understanding. Our cooperation is based on peace in the world and the region, and we will continue to live in friendship,” said Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin at an official reception in Moscow dedicated to Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces Day.

● Azerbaijani wrestlers Turan Dashdemirov and Ayhan Javadov became European junior champions in the 51 kg and 60 kg weight categories, defeating their Armenian opponents in the finals (pictured).

● A tornado swept through Kakheti, overturning cars, uprooting trees, and damaging roofs. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Significant damage occurred at the ancient Alaverdi Monastery complex: the southern slope roof of the temple, the tin roof of the bell tower, and the tiled roof of the archbishop’s house were damaged. Windows and the western dome of the temple were shattered. The balcony of the archbishop’s house collapsed, the cross fell from the cathedral’s dome, and the surrounding infrastructure was damaged.

● “The doors of the European Union are open for Georgia, but the government itself is closing this door,” said European Commission representative Peter Stano in an interview with “Pirveli” TV channel.

● Six opposition parties in Georgia have signed a unity declaration ahead of the crucial parliamentary elections in October. The parties, including “National Movement,” “Girchi – More Freedom,” “Ahali,” “Lelo,” “Droa,” and “Strategy Agmashenebeli,” declared their main goals as “ending the rule of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili and returning Georgia to the path of European integration.” They promise to announce the unity configuration by July 8. Read more here

● “Every week in 2023, one woman in Georgia was killed or faced an attempted murder,” states the annual report by the Public Defender, presented to Parliament. Femicide, or the gender-based killing of women, was highlighted by Levan Ioseliani as one of the country’s critical issues.

● The Public Defender also drew attention to the dire situation in psychiatric clinics, where there is a severe lack of space, staff, and equipment, with reported cases of patient abuse.

● During his parliamentary report, the Public Defender urged authorities to effectively investigate numerous attacks on civil activists, opposition members, and journalists.

● Another such attack occurred last night in Poti. Unknown assailants vandalized the office of the opposition party “United National Movement” (founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili). Windows were broken, and equipment was damaged.

● Water supply has been fully restored in Tbilisi after a major pipeline failure. Central districts had been living under a strict water supply schedule for over 10 days.

● Very heavy rain and hurricane-force winds are expected in some regions of Georgia today, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

● Today is a public holiday in Azerbaijan, celebrating Armed Forces Day. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces were established on June 26, 1918.

● Natig Gasimov was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan (pictured). He died in 1991 at the age of 20 in an unequal battle with Armenian forces in the village of Pirler, Khojaly district. More about him and the events can be found here on JAMnews 

● “Some major states want to pursue their significant interests in the Caucasus at the expense of the local peoples. Naturally, we must not allow this. We must not let them create tension here,” said Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.

● The remains of 20 more people missing from the first Karabakh war have been identified, according to the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons.

● “Russia and Azerbaijan are experiencing a blossoming of relations. Azerbaijan positions itself as a transit country, which is extremely beneficial for Russia in terms of economic development, export flows, and promoting Russian exports towards the Global South,” said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk.

● Social media reports a “slight” increase in diesel and 92-octane gasoline prices in Azerbaijan. It is noted that low fuel prices are hindering the transition to electric vehicles in the domestic market.

● Azerbaijan will ban the sale or gifting of vehicles provided by the state to people with disabilities. In the event of the owner’s death, the car will be re-registered to a family member and transferred to the family’s ownership.

● An attempt to smuggle drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea on two boats was thwarted. Three Iranians, crew members of one boat, and two Azerbaijani accomplices were detained. The smugglers tried to escape by throwing the cargo into the sea and were shot at, resulting in injuries. The second boat managed to flee.

● Azerbaijan has lifted the visa regime with Morocco.

● “Armenia’s political orientation is increasingly leaning towards the West,” commented Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk: “There is a well-known joke by Nikol Pashinyan: when asked when he would join the EU if he could, he jokingly replied, ‘right now.’ This reflects the discussions in Armenia about holding a referendum on EU membership.”

● “The EU needs a referendum in Armenia on joining the EU only to remove the Russian military base from the country,” said former Prime Minister and ex-parliamentarian from the Republican Party, Khosrov Harutyunyan.

● Washington continues to work on normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, reminded US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a briefing.

● Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey will be an honorary guest at the XXI Golden Apricot International Film Festival, which will be held in Yerevan from July 7 to 14.

● Armenian athlete Marat Achemyan defeated Azerbaijani Nijat Isgandarli 8-0 and advanced to the finals of the U17 European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship.

● U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Jim O’Brien, urged the Georgian government “not to close the doors to Georgia’s European future” on his X page. “The actions of the Georgian government pose a threat to the country’s European aspirations. The United States strongly supports the Georgian people’s desire to become members of the European Union,” writes Jim O’Brien.

● U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, John Bass, stated that “Bidzina Ivanishvili (oligarch, honorary chairman of the ruling party in Georgia) has taken the dreams and aspirations of the Georgian people hostage.”

● The “foreign agents” law adopted in Georgia and potential restrictive measures against the country’s leaders were discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in Luxembourg. “We have heard statements from high-ranking Georgian officials claiming that this law supposedly brings Georgia closer to the EU. I want to state clearly: absolutely not. This law and its negative developments are pulling Georgia out of the European Union,” Josep Borrell said at a press conference. Read more here

● Givi Mikanadze, a deputy from the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, appealed to the PACE to cancel the debates on Georgia and remove the issue from the agenda, as he believes this could hinder the development of the situation in the country during the pre-election period. The assembly did not satisfy this request. 92 PACE deputies voted in favor of the debates, 17 against. The debates are scheduled for June 27.

● Pro-Russian parties have united ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in October. The new bloc claims it intends to enter the new parliament with a substantial composition.

● Another brutal beating of an activist has occurred. This time, the victim was Niko Gaprindashvili, a participant in the protests against the “foreign agents” law from the village of Zodi in the Chiatura municipality in western Georgia.

● Members of a criminal group beat a 19-year-old youth to death on the street in Tbilisi, and he later died in the hospital. Three people have been arrested. Read more here

● Water supply is gradually being restored in central districts of Tbilisi after more than 10 days of severe rationing due to damage to the main water pipeline.

● Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa, in a phone conversation with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, thanked Armenia for recognizing the State of Palestine. Mirzoyan stated that the decision to recognize Palestine supports the “two-state” principle and aims to contribute to resolving the situation that has led to numerous casualties.

● The summer conscription for mandatory military service has started in Armenia. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Edward Asryan visited the central assembly point of the Ministry of Defense to inspect the work of the conscription commissions (as shown in the photo).

● Residents of the village of Vardenut blocked the Yerevan-Vanadzor road in protest against the designation of 110 hectares of their village as an area of exceptional public interest. They reopened the road after being promised a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan.

● Nikol Pashinyan sent a telegram of condolences to Vladimir Putin, condemning the terrorist attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala.

● Armenia and Georgia will create a working group to deepen cooperation in tourism. This was agreed upon in Yerevan by the Armenian Tourism Federation and the Georgian Tourism Association. The working group will include representatives from both the public and private sectors, who will soon hold their first meeting at the border to discuss existing issues.

● President Ilham Aliyev has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court regarding the dissolution of parliament and the calling of early elections. The Constitutional Court will review the request on June 27.

● The quarantine regime in Azerbaijan has been extended until October 1. This means all land borders remain closed since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in 2020.

● Investigative actions on the criminal cases of 15 high-ranking officials from the former unrecognized NKR, currently imprisoned in Baku, have been completed. The documents will soon be submitted to court, announced Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev.

● “The minefield maps provided by Armenia to Azerbaijan only cover the former confrontation line. The accuracy of these maps does not exceed 25%, which is very low,” stated Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), at a conference in Khankendi.

● “Azerbaijan condemns the bloody crimes in Dagestan and supports the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” reads a letter from Ilham Aliyev expressing condolences to Vladimir Putin.

● A shootout occurred in the village of Shuvelyan in the suburbs of Baku. Previously convicted Rovshan Allahverdiyev shot and killed three police officers and one civilian with a hunting rifle during his arrest. Allahverdiyev was subsequently neutralized by the police.

● The Days of Russian Culture have opened in Azerbaijan.

● One person was killed and three were injured during a shooting at the border crossing from Russia to Abkhazia on the Psou River. The prosecutor’s office of the city of Gagra reported that the shooting was due to a personal conflict between a Russian citizen and a resident of Abkhazia.

● Water supply to the central districts of Tbilisi is expected to resume in three days. Over ten days ago, the main water pipeline was damaged, and since then, water has been supplied on a very strict schedule, no more than three hours a day.

● Georgia’s national team goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was named among the players of the European Championship team, compiled by the sports portal Sofascore. His exceptional performance in the match between Georgia and the Czech Republic on June 22 became a global sensation, with his photo on the front pages of many international publications. He has the highest rating in this symbolic team – 9.8 out of 10.

● According to The Washington Post, Andrew Miller, a senior U.S. State Department official and expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, has resigned. It is reported that Miller told colleagues he wants to spend more time with his family, as the ongoing conflict, which began in October, has become too difficult for him.

● An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 occurred at night in the Oni municipality, two kilometers from the village of Iri.

📷 In the photo: Work is underway at the site of the damaged main water pipeline:

● “Azerbaijan is attractive for investments not only in fossil fuels but also in renewable energy sources,” said President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with Euronews.

● The sixth convocation of the parliament will conclude its work on Friday, June 28. Last week, the Milli Majlis requested the president to call for early parliamentary elections.

● Azerbaijani army positions came under fire on Saturday in the Kelbajar direction, according to the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

● The administration of the Prime Minister of Armenia has proposed to Baku to start working on implementing a mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations. The Armenian government noted that the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has recently been regularly reporting alleged shelling from Armenia, despite subsequent denials from the Armenian side. Yerevan believes the mechanism will help prevent tensions.

● EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar welcomed Armenia’s proposal to implement a mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations with Baku in a social media post on X.

● Several countries have welcomed Armenia’s decision to recognize Palestine.

●  Young fans of footballer Henrikh Mkhitaryan met with him in Yerevan (in the photo). He encouraged the children “not to look for their future in phones, but instead to read a lot.”

Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from June 17-21, 2024