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

● Armenia and the EU are developing a new agenda for their relations, announced Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a briefing with Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis in Vilnius. He emphasized that cooperation with Lithuania is important for Armenia in its dialogue with the EU.

● Four parties have proposed holding a referendum on applying for EU membership for Armenia.

● The French Development Agency will provide Armenia with a €75 million loan to cover the budget deficit. The agreement was approved at a cabinet meeting and is set to be signed on June 26.

● Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan discussed bilateral defense cooperation and regional security with Luxembourg’s Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler.

● Seven members of a criminal group that appropriated the apartments of elderly individuals in Armenia have been arrested, according to the Investigative Committee. The group used forged documents to take three apartments in Etchmiadzin and one in Yerevan, which were then sold, with the proceeds laundered. The total damage to the victims exceeds $130,000.

● A ceremony to issue two postage stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sergei Parajanov was held at his namesake museum in Yerevan. One stamp, valued at 320 drams, features the artist, while the other, valued at 380 drams, showcases his collage “Variation on the Theme of Pinturicchio and Raphael.”

● The ruling party “Yeni Azerbaijan” has proposed dissolving parliament and holding early elections. Deputies from the ruling majority are preparing to appeal to the President of Azerbaijan. Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan are scheduled for November, coinciding with COP29, prompting discussions about early elections.

● U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called President Ilham Aliyev. They discussed the process of normalizing Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, according to U.S. State Department representative Matthew Miller. Blinken also discussed U.S.-Azerbaijan relations with Aliyev and urged “the immediate release of all unjustly detained individuals.”

● The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry emphasized the right of Azerbaijani refugees to a dignified and safe return home. Azerbaijan supports its refugees at every stage of their journey and shares their hopes for a safe and inclusive future, according to a post on the Foreign Ministry’s social media page.

● The State Security Service reported uncovering an international cybercrime network that was preparing fake solicitations promising large profits in the names of public figures, including the President of Azerbaijan. Members of the group, who embezzled significant sums, were prosecuted by local authorities in Ukraine. Among those arrested were Azerbaijani citizens Zokhrabov Rafig Mahir oglu (born 1998) and Niftaliyev Sardar Alihan oglu (born 1979).

● Raghib Nuriyev, a resident of Goranboy district, was injured by an anti-tank mine in the village of Khorovlu in the Jabrayil district. A truck drove onto an uncleared minefield, and the driver sustained various injuries.

● The Chief of General Staff visited a combat systems factory in Serbia (as seen in the photo). Karim Valiyev also visited the “Rastko Nemanic” military town and the special operations brigade.

● No deaths among Azerbaijani pilgrims during Hajj have been reported, according to the Caucasus Muslims Office. The number of deaths during the Hajj in Mecca has exceeded one thousand, mainly due to heat.

● Two Azerbaijanis have been extradited from Russia to Azerbaijan. One is suspected of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, and the other of fraud causing significant damage. Both were detained in Russia and escorted to Azerbaijan.

● The visa regime between Azerbaijan and Morocco has been abolished.

● Double taxation between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan has been abolished. The bill has been recommended for a plenary session of parliament.

● A rally was held in front of the parliament to mark the fifth anniversary of the massive protest known as the “Gavrilov Night” in Tbilisi. Participants then marched to Heroes’ Square. On the night of June 20-21, 2019, thousands of protesters were dispersed by special forces using tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets. Two people lost their eyes, making the red eye patch a symbol of that protest. The inscription “20%” signifies that Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s territory. Many participants were injured. Yesterday’s rally was organized by the youth movement “Dapioni,” which actively protests against the “foreign agents” law.

BACKGROUND: On the morning of June 20, 2019, the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy session began in the parliament. Russian State Duma deputy, Communist Sergey Gavrilov, sat in the Georgian parliamentary chairman’s seat. That evening, a protest against Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories was planned. Gavrilov’s actions turned it into one of the largest protests and violent clashes with the police. More details with photos and videos can be found here

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with Georgian ambassadors to European countries and the USA in Berlin. They discussed Georgia’s foreign policy priorities, current tasks, and future plans.

● Parliamentary committees are discussing a package of bills banning “LGBT propaganda,” which essentially severely restricts LGBT community rights. The opposition is not participating in the discussions. The ruling party, which proposed this initiative, claims its main goal is to strengthen family values based on the union of a man and a woman and to create mechanisms to protect minors. Read more here

● An investigation has been launched in Tbilisi into damage to the “GWP” company’s main pipeline, which has led to several central districts of the city receiving water for only about three hours a day for the past two weeks. It is suspected that illegal dumping of large amounts of construction waste on the main water pipeline section caused the damage. More details on the accident here

● This summer, the ferry service between Ukraine and Georgia, halted due to the war, will be restored. The first voyage of the “Kaunas” ferry (operated by “UkrFerry”) from Chornomorsk, Ukraine, to Batumi is scheduled for July 9. The ferry has a capacity of 250 passengers, and the trip takes 60 hours.

● The street of April 9 near the parliament has been closed for repair work. It has already been dug up, and the work will continue throughout the summer. This street, where one of the parliament’s service entrances is located, was central to the protests against the “foreign agents” law.

● “Paris’ policy in the South Caucasus is ineffective,” stated Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan.

“The implementation of France’s militarization policy in the region is a serious blow to the process of normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan at a time when serious steps are being taken towards the peaceful transformation of the South Caucasus. We believe that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, should pursue a more responsible policy,” he added.

●  The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry outlined the main condition for peace with Armenia:

“The main condition for signing a real and lasting peace treaty is the cessation of Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which are enshrined in numerous legal and political documents of this country, in particular, in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which directly refers to the Act of Independence of Armenia calling for unification with Karabakh.”

● “Armenia resorts to political manipulation, trying to create the image of a peaceful country. Armenia’s policy, aimed at creating new tensions in the region and obstructing peace and stability, will yield no results,” stated the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

●  Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, Kerim Veliyev, held a series of meetings in Belgrade to discuss military and military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and Serbia.

●  A UN conference on combating colonialism, organized by the Baku Initiative Group, will take place today.

●  In the first quarter of 2024, Azerbaijan invested $40 million in Turkey’s economy. This is twice as much as the same period in 2023, reported the Central Bank of Azerbaijan.

●  The Georgian Interior Ministry has initiated an investigation into the damage to the main water pipeline. This incident is the largest in the system in recent years, cutting off water supply to a huge number of households in Tbilisi and its suburbs. The distribution company GWP reported immediately after the accident on June 17 that it could not promptly reach the damage site due to it having been buried by soil by a “third party.” The aftermath of the accident has been tended to for several days, with machinery working there day and night. However, no specific timeline for the completion of the work has been provided, leaving thousands of citizens without water amidst soaring temperatures.

●  A lawsuit challenging the foreign agents law will be filed in the Constitutional Court of Georgia at the end of this month or the beginning of next month. This was announced by Nona Kurdovanidze, head of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Association.

Several non-governmental organizations are jointly preparing the lawsuit. They also plan to appeal to the Strasbourg Court afterwards.

The authors of the lawsuit argue that the law, adopted by the ruling party despite criticism from the West and amid massive protests at home, contradicts the Constitution. Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia states: “Constitutional bodies shall, within their competencies, take all measures to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”

●  EU Ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski stated that the adoption of the “foreign agents” law has “frozen” the process of Georgia joining the European Union.

“We have repeatedly said that the law on foreign influence will adversely affect Georgia’s European aspirations. Unfortunately, this has happened. Next week, the European Union will discuss and decide what measures to take in response to the events in Georgia,” he said.

●  Georgian national team player Zuriko Davitashvili (pictured) addressed the fans: “Thank you for your support and for creating an amazing atmosphere. We will come back stronger.”

On June 22, the Georgian national team will play against the Czech Republic in Hamburg, and on June 26, against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.

● “Armenia has purchased 36 CAESAR cannons from France, which are to be delivered to the country within the next 15 months,” Jean-Christophe Buisson, deputy director of the French magazine Le Figaro, wrote on X.

●  “Paris is provoking another round of armed confrontation in the South Caucasus,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on France’s arms supply contract with Armenia.

● Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will not attend the CSTO Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting in Almaty on June 21, announced the ministry’s spokeswoman Ani Badalyan.

●  “Armenia seeks to expand cooperation within the SCO,” said Armenian Parliament Vice Speaker Hakob Arshakyan during a meeting with Shokrat Zakir, representative of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, in China.

● The coach of the Georgian national football team, Willy Sagnol, gave his first comments after the match against Turkey last night in Dortmund, where Georgia lost 1-3. He said that the team’s debut in the European Football Championship would be a valuable experience and “in the future, we will not lose such matches.” “We played very well and can be proud of it. There were many moments when we could have scored, probably as many as Turkey had. But that’s football. Dortmund’s stadium is one of the best in the world, and the atmosphere was fantastic. The only painful part for me was when, during the Georgian anthem, some Turkish fans started whistling and shouting insults. However, the main thing for us is to gain experience, and this is a kind of learning process. Ahead is the match against the Czech Republic. Regarding goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili’s move into the opponent’s penalty area, it was the last minute, and we wanted to equalize because I believe we fully deserved it with our excellent play. But it didn’t work out,” said Willy Sagnol.

● During the live broadcast of the European Championship match between Georgia and Turkey, a Russian channel accidentally aired Georgian fans chanting derogatory slogans about Putin.

● U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan told Interpressnews that the Chinese company announced as the investor in the construction of the first deep-sea port in Anaklia is listed by the U.S. Treasury as having deep ties with military structures in China. “The Georgian authorities, of course, make sovereign decisions, but I am informing you that there are many concerns surrounding the Anaklia port project due to the involvement of such an investor.”

● Several central districts of Tbilisi have been experiencing significant water supply restrictions for several days due to a major pipeline accident. GWP reported that it would take another seven days to complete the repair work. Read more here

● “The responsibility for escalating the situation in the South Caucasus and creating a new conflict zone will fall entirely on the leadership of Armenia and the Macron dictatorship,” stated the Ministry of Defense, commenting on the contract between France and Armenia for the purchase of Caesar self-propelled artillery systems. “Macron’s regime is an obstacle to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and to ensuring lasting peace in the region.”

● In the residence of the head of the Muslims of the Caucasus, Allahshukur Pashazade met with the newly appointed Bishop of Baku and Azerbaijan, Alexy (pictured). Welcoming the guest, Pashazade spoke about the atmosphere of respect and harmony that consistently characterizes the relationships between the leaders of Azerbaijan’s traditional religious communities.

● Azerbaijan will participate in the BRICS+ Cities Forum in Kazan on June 21. The event will gather about 200 mayors, deputy mayors, and municipal leaders from 21 countries.

● Turkey sent 100,000 seedlings to Azerbaijan for planting in Karabakh and Baku. These include Scots pine, laurel, and acacia grown in nurseries in Eskişehir, Konya, Mersin, Urfa, and Sakarya, as reported by the General Directorate of Forestry of Turkey.

● Thirty children from Ukraine have arrived in Azerbaijan for rehabilitation services (pictured). In a camp located in Baku, there will be national dance lessons for the children, individual consultations with professional psychologists, and excursions to historical sites and museums in the cities of Gabala and Sheki. Previously, around 150 Ukrainian children in four groups received socio-psychological rehabilitation in Azerbaijan.

● Yerevan and Paris have signed a contract for the acquisition of CAESAR howitzers, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on his X account.

● The leaders of Armenia and Turkey spoke by phone. Nikol Pashinyan and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed recent regional developments and the international agenda. Both leaders emphasized their political will to fully normalize relations between the countries without any preconditions. They discussed the importance of continuing meetings between the special representatives of both countries and confirmed the agreements reached so far. Pashinyan and Erdoğan noted the ongoing dialogue between high-level representatives of Armenia and Turkey.

● Armenia has not sent any signals about wanting to leave the CIS or reduce its participation in the Commonwealth, CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev told TASS.

● The Armenian Prime Minister received U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma. They discussed bilateral cooperation, a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku, and the process of demarcating the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

● During his visit to the Syunik region, which borders Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan bought ice cream for children in the village of Tegh. The last time he bought ice cream in flood-affected villages in the Lori region, social media questioned whether a receipt was issued. This time, he showed in a video that the receipt was indeed issued.

● “In the process of demarcating the border with Azerbaijan, the issue of exchanging territories between the two countries may arise, and a referendum might be held on this matter,” said the Prime Minister during a meeting with residents of the village of Shinuhayr in the Syunik Province of Armenia. “There may be a situation where we can give up 100 square meters here and gain 100 square meters there. But in such a case, the decision will be yours, not ours,” said Nikol Pashinyan.

● Armenia and France have reached new agreements on military-technical cooperation, discussed in Paris by the defense ministers of both countries (photo). During the meeting, Suren Papikyan presented the ongoing reforms in Armenia’s armed forces. This is the second meeting between the two ministers this year, with the previous one taking place in February in Yerevan.

● U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma has arrived in Yerevan. He held his first meetings with the Foreign Minister and the President. They consider the visit of the American diplomat a “step towards strengthening Armenia and decentralized cooperation.”

● The Deputy Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Ukraine held political consultations in Kyiv. They discussed bilateral agendas, trade-economic, legal, and other issues, emphasizing the importance of “consistent contacts and periodic exchanges of views.”

● Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan called the proposal for a referendum on the country’s EU membership by several political forces and NGOs interesting and relevant. He told journalists that the ruling party has not discussed this issue, although “we, our country, and our people unequivocally share the EU’s value system.”

● None of the deputies from the ruling party, which holds the majority in parliament, attended the extraordinary parliamentary session where the government’s resignation was to be discussed. Due to the lack of a quorum, the session did not take place.

● “The protests in Armenia are not connected to the north, south, east, or west,” said Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who leads the opposition movement. He claimed that the Armenian authorities exploited anti-Russian sentiments and fueled the “fear” of the return of former President Robert Kocharyan, who is considered a pro-Russian politician. “All to discredit our movement,” said Galstanyan.

● “The Armenian government must decide for itself whether the country should leave the CSTO (a military alliance led by Russia), and we in the U.S. will respect that decision,” commented the State Department. Earlier, the Prime Minister announced a possible withdrawal of Armenia from the CSTO. Read more here

● Guram Kashia, captain of the Georgian national football team: “Many people have saved diligently for a long time to buy tickets and pay for their trip to the European Championship in Germany, where the Georgian team will play for the first time today. We love football very much. We have waited 30 years to play in a major tournament, and this dream has come true for all of us. Players and fans will try to represent themselves as best as possible and bring glory to our country once again.”

The Georgian national team will play its first match at Euro 2024 against Turkey on June 18 in Dortmund. Then, they will face the Czech Republic in Hamburg on June 22. On June 26, the Georgian team will play against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.

● The EU’s Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy structure published specific figures of financial aid provided to Georgia from 2019-2024, totaling €517.8 million. In the accompanying statement, it was noted that the Georgian authorities misinform the public about the funds received from the EU. “Compared to civil society, Georgian ministries were allocated ten times more money,” the EU stated.

● The Prime Minister claimed that the adoption of the “foreign agents” law has increased the chances of starting negotiations with the EU about Georgia joining the alliance. However, the EU has long insisted on the opposite—that Georgia has deviated from the path of European integration. It is reported that the EU is preparing personal sanctions, the cessation of financial aid, and possibly suspending the visa-free regime as a result of this law. Read more here

● The Prime Minister also stated that he is ready to testify that EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi threatened him, saying that “the Georgian Prime Minister could share the fate of Slovak Prime Minister Fico,” who was recently shot on the street. “Maybe some countries will want to investigate this,” said Irakli Kobakhidze. EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi previously described Kobakhidze’s statement as taken out of context. “I only mentioned that further polarization could lead to possible uncontrolled situations on the streets of Tbilisi, and I cited the tragic event in Slovakia as an example,” said Varhelyi.

● Badri Japaridze, from the party “Lelo”: “Our task is to ensure that ‘Georgian Dream’ cannot mislead people with its massive propaganda machine. Their media manage to portray the situation in a completely distorted way. But, I think this no longer works. The number of people still under this propaganda’s influence and thinking that ‘Georgian Dream’ can stay in power is very small and decreasing every day.”

●  In Georgia, an activist was severely beaten again. This time, the victim was Leri Dardjania, who actively opposes the “foreign agents” law. In the past month, there have been dozens of attacks on activists, and even more people opposing the law receive threats over the phone.

● Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that the Georgian party “Solidarity for Peace” has appealed to the President of Russia to completely abolish the visa regime between the two countries and ease employment rules for Georgians in Russia.

● Independent TV channel Mtavari reported, citing anonymous sources, about a conflict and fight between the Deputy Governor of Kvemo Kartli region, Giorgi Shindzhikashvili, and the head of the Georgian special forces, Zviad Kharazishvili. According to the channel, the mediator in the conflict is the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze.

● Several central districts of Tbilisi have been experiencing a crisis for several days due to prolonged water outages. Mayor Kakha Kaladze said that the mayor’s office is trying to resolve the problem and acknowledged that the state company GWP has “very big problems, its networks are worn out and need renewal.”

? Photo: Captain of the Georgian national football team, Guram Kashia

● Activist Nijat Amiraslanov was released after two days. He did not disclose the reasons and circumstances of his detention and release, nor where he was held.

● The regional situation and relations between Baku and Ankara were discussed by Jeyhun Bayramov and Hakan Fidan. The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey also discussed preparations for the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Shusha during their phone conversation.

? Photo: The village of Agaly in the Zangilan district.

● Personal sanctions against those responsible for the adoption of the “foreign agents” law in Georgia, cessation of financial aid, and, in extreme cases, temporary suspension of visa-free travel — “Radio Liberty” obtained a European Commission document outlining steps the EU may take if the political situation in Georgia does not improve. Read more here

● Representatives from over 90 countries who participated in the recent conference in Switzerland on aid to Ukraine signed a joint communiqué. The document reaffirms Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. It states that threats of nuclear weapon use in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine are unacceptable; free and secure commercial shipping and Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea and Sea of Azov ports are of crucial importance. A separate clause demands the release of all prisoners of war through exchange and the return of all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children.

● A new confrontation between the government and the president. Tbilisi’s mayor (representing the ruling party) and the president’s press office exchanged accusations. Mayor Kakha Kaladze said he “doesn’t understand why the president did not include 19 Georgian football players, proposed by the government, in the list of honorees and did not announce this publicly.” “Let the national team decide how they feel about this,” Kaladze said. The president’s office responded that the mayor “is trying to discredit the president and turn the beloved football players and the public against her.” The press office noted that the act of awarding the Georgian national football team members and football federation representatives the Order of Honor was issued on May 23, but the ceremony will take place in September.

● The Football Federation commented on this dispute, stating, “It is unacceptable during this historic period for Georgian football to divide our team members and place their merits in unequal conditions. The teamwork and participation of everyone involved have led us to success (qualifying for the European Championship).” The Football Federation announced that it will participate in the award ceremony “only in the composition presented to the president by the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament.”

The Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament presented each member of the Georgian national team with the Order of Honor after the team qualified for the European Championship for the first time in history. Euro 2024 started on June 14. The Georgian national team will play its first match against Turkey on June 18 in Dortmund, followed by a match against the Czech Republic in Hamburg on June 22. On June 26, the Georgian team will play against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.

● Former Prime Minister and leader of the “For Georgia” party, Giorgi Gakharia, did not rule out a pre-election partnership with the “Lelo” party.

● A group of activists who run a “social café” in Mziuri Central Park in Tbilisi has appealed to the public for support as the mayor’s office has decided to close the café. Several years ago, the mayor’s office provided the café’s location free of charge, and it has since become an important city center hosting numerous events, with all income invested in social projects. Mayor Kaladze responded to the statement. “There is no need to make a scandal out of this topic. The café’s status as a social enterprise will be maintained. Their contract has expired, and the café had been repeatedly transferred directly to the same person, for which I was repeatedly accused by others. Now a tender will be announced, in which everyone can participate. The café will be sold with the same social status and obligation to implement the same projects as before,” stated Kakha Kaladze.

● Two central districts of Tbilisi, Vake and Saburtalo, were without water for many hours. GWP reported that the central main water pipeline was accidentally damaged.

● Yesterday, in the Oni area of the Racha region, four earthquakes occurred, with magnitudes reaching up to 3.8.

● Nikol Pashinyan showed residents of the village of Chakaten in the border zone with Azerbaijan photos taken with his phone to alleviate fears that their livestock might accidentally end up on the Azerbaijani side after the demarcation of several sections in the area brought the border closer to the village. A barbed wire fence has been installed on the delimited section near Voskepar, and “even if a cow wanted to, it couldn’t cross it,” said the Prime Minister.

● Two members of the opposition movement “Tavush for the Motherland” have been arrested for one month, charged with participating in mass riots. The movement has been holding protests for nearly two months, with their latest demand being the resignation of the government.

● A criminal case has been initiated against the company GG in Armenia. The founder, Khachatur Grigoryan, claims this is due to his support for the opposition. On social media, he wrote, “If you are Armenian and want my respect when greeting you, your place is on Baghramyan Avenue!” This was followed by searches at the company’s office and the confiscation of work computers. However, the Investigative Committee stated that the criminal proceedings were initiated last May for tax evasion, and the searches are part of the investigative process. The company’s statement was described by the committee as a “failed attempt” to politicize a long-standing legal process and “distort reality.”

● Armenian karateka Gor Nersisyan (84 kg) won Armenia’s fourth medal at the BRICS Games 2024, a bronze. Armenia now has 1 gold (karate) and 3 bronzes (sambo and karate) at the ongoing competitions in Kazan.

● Thirteen families from the village of Shurnukh, located near the border with Azerbaijan, were given keys to new apartments. Nikol Pashinyan personally oversaw the lottery process.

● Azerbaijan is currently observing a five-day holiday in honor of National Salvation Day and Gurban Bayram. The first working day of the week will be June 20.

● After 10 years in Germany, journalist Shirin Tire (Abbasov) has returned to Azerbaijan. A criminal case was initiated against him for “illegal border crossing.” Shirin Tire was detained at Baku airport but was released by the court.

●  Activist Nijat Amiraslanov went missing in Baku last Saturday. There is no information about his whereabouts.

● The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense reported a shelling of Azerbaijani army positions stationed in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on Sunday night.

●  A missile guidance station “1S32” and two launcher installations “2P24” of the “2K11 Krug” air defense system discovered in Khojaly are being displayed at the “Military Trophy Park” in Baku.

● An attempt to illegally transport 15 tons of diesel fuel from Azerbaijan to Georgia was thwarted. Customs officials at the “Red Bridge” found the contraband in a specially equipped hidden compartment of a truck.

Top stories in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia from June 10-14, 2024