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

● “The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is behind us, and instability is giving way to cooperation and development. We believe the countries will soon sign a peace agreement. The region is turning into a new geopolitical hub focused on cooperation,” Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz told the pro-government outlet Report. He described as a crucial milestone the joint declaration signed by the leaders of the two countries on August 8 in Washington with U.S. participation, which includes the opening of regional transport routes. “The launch of negotiations on the TRIPP transit project, which is to be implemented within the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries of the region, is extremely important for economic integration in the South Caucasus,” Yılmaz said.

● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked Azerbaijan for its decision to unblock cargo transit and stressed the “importance of further constructive changes between Armenia and Azerbaijan that will ensure the development of trade, improvement of logistics processes, and strengthening of regional economic resilience.” He made these remarks while speaking at a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg, Russia. Armenia is a member of the EAEU (an economic union led by Russia), while Azerbaijan is not.

Analysis from Baku: Azerbaijan to supply oil to Armenia: official silence and political-economic implications

Analysis from Yerevan: ‘First economic deal since independence’: Azerbaijani petrol arrives in Armenia

● Major opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector were discussed at a joint press conference in Baku by the foreign ministers of Montenegro and Azerbaijan, Ervin Ibrahimović and Jeyhun Bayramov. “Azerbaijan aims to become a leader in the transportation of energy resources, while Montenegro seeks to serve as an energy hub between the Balkans and Europe. Montenegro has significant potential in renewable energy: the country enjoys more than 200 sunny days a year and has substantial hydropower resources. We will find opportunities for cooperation within the framework of the Ionian–Adriatic Pipeline, which will be of strategic importance from Azerbaijan to Western Europe,” Ibrahimović said.

● A delegation led by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is arriving in Baku today to take part in the 12th meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation.

● A new investigative documentary titled The Oligarch’s Design is being actively discussed in the media and on social networks. The film examines the criminal financial past of Ruben Vardanyan, the former “prime minister” of the now-defunct unrecognized “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” who is currently under arrest in Baku. He is accused of attempting a coup and committing war crimes, with prosecutors seeking a life sentence. The film focuses largely on the activities of the Troika Laundromat financial network, through which billions of dollars were moved via offshore structures. According to Azerbaijani media reports, one of the film’s interviewees, Juliette Garside, The Guardian’s editor for European financial affairs, questions Vardanyan’s claims that he was one of Troika’s founders but was unaware of the fraudulent schemes. “These claims seem unlikely, especially since some of his own funds passed through the same network of companies,” Garside says. Another interviewee, Jamison Firestone, the lawyer who represented the late Sergei Magnitsky, speaks in the film about a direct link between the Magnitsky investigation and the Troika Laundromat scheme. “The money Sergei uncovered was stolen from the state treasury, passed through the Troika Laundromat to leave Russia, and ultimately ended up in the pockets of some very influential Russian officials,” Firestone says.

According to local media, the film also addresses the activities of the Aurora Foundation, an international philanthropic festival held annually in Yerevan, which was founded and financed by Ruben Vardanyan. The documentary includes interviews with well-known figures from various countries who took part in the festival.

The premiere of The Oligarch’s Design took place in Baku on December 19. The film is not yet available to the general public.

● The implementation of an amnesty act begins today. It was initiated by President Ilham Aliyev and subsequently approved by the Milli Majlis. It is expected to affect more than 20,000 people in total. Reports say the list will primarily include individuals who took part in combat operations to defend the country’s territorial integrity, close relatives of those killed or missing during those operations, as well as those “who suffered as a result of Armenia’s military provocation against the civilian population.” Overall, implementation of the law will take four months, and each release will take place with the participation of officials, civil society representatives, and the media.

● An attempt to illegally smuggle a large batch of medicines – 83,000 units – from Turkey into Azerbaijan has been thwarted. The drugs were found hidden inside a shipment of sunflower oil during an X-ray inspection.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 15-19 December, 2025