Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 7-11 October 4, 2024

● The German Bundestag adopted a resolution on Georgia, stating that there will be no progress in its EU accession process until the anti-democratic “foreign agents” law is revoked.

● Foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle (Germany, France, and Poland) issued a joint statement condemning the Georgian government’s anti-democratic actions and reaffirming their support for the Georgian people’s pro-European aspirations.

● Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, responded sharply to Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement. Kobakhidze said the ruling party’s campaign banners comparing war-torn Ukrainian cities with “peaceful and prosperous” Georgia were meant to reveal the “truth about Ukraine” to the Georgian public. Yermak countered that the Georgian people already support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

● Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also protested the Georgian PM’s statement, calling it disgraceful that “Georgian Dream” uses images of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine in its political ads, adding that the Georgian government has become a “copy of the Kremlin.”

● Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of “Georgian Dream,” outlined his plans if the party wins the October 26 parliamentary elections: to constitutionally ban the opposition United National Movement and its satellite parties, paving the way for “new, healthy political forces.” He also vowed to hold all “traitors” accountable for war crimes.

● According to Georgia’s Central Election Commission, 95,834 Georgian expatriates are registered to vote in the upcoming elections. The commission will discuss opening seven more polling stations abroad, including one in Israel, where safety concerns have been raised due to the unstable situation.

● Pro-government TV channel “Imedi” refused to broadcast opposition campaign ads in retaliation for independent networks like “Formula,” “Pirveli,” and “Mtavari” declining to air unethical ads from the ruling party. Many in society are outraged by these ads, which compare destroyed Ukrainian cities to flourishing Georgian ones, and others that insult opposition leaders and civil society figures. For example, the image below shows a campaign banner with distorted faces of leaders from pro-Western parties against a bloody backdrop. Leashes are attached to them, with the slogan “No to war! No to agents!” written on the banner.

● “For Georgia” leader Giorgi Gakharia accused the communications commission of restricting his party’s access to free political advertising. He appealed to the commission chair and pro-government media, particularly “Imedi” and “Rustavi 2,” to broadcast their ads.

● De facto Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba stated that if Georgia apologized for its aggression against Abkhazia, it would be seen as a step toward reconciliation. According to local agency “Apsnypress,” Shamba made this statement during a meeting with the co-chairs of the Geneva talks. Additionally, the de facto minister said that “Georgia should abandon terms that hinder the resolution of relations, specifically the phrase ‘occupied territories.'” Shamba reiterated that “Abkhazia’s political status is not up for discussion.”

● Mamuka Mdinaradze, Secretary of “Georgian Dream,” shocked the public by claiming that opposition leader and former PM Giorgi Gakharia has always been a foreign agent serving the “global war party.” He said the government knew this but couldn’t act because Gakharia’s backers were too powerful. Read more here

● JWT Metro’s creative director Eka Kipiani confirmed that the agency has “essentially collapsed” after most employees resigned in protest. This followed the company director’s revelation that he and a team of freelancers had created a controversial campaign ad for the ruling party. Kipiani told “Formula” TV that no employees were involved in the production, and the director’s statement was a surprise to the staff. Read more here

● “Armenia’s persistent proposals to quickly sign an incomplete draft of the peace agreement are an attempt to deceive the international community and hide their true intentions,” said the representative of the president, Elchin Amirbekov, in an interview with TV Berlin. “Without an effective and urgent resolution to the ongoing territorial claims of Armenia on Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, as reflected primarily in the current Armenian constitution, it will be impossible to eliminate the key cause of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict,” he added.

● Azerbaijan’s initiative for a global ceasefire during the COP29 summit in Baku has gained the support of 127 countries, including all member states of the Non-Aligned Movement, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

● Twenty-eight hydroelectric power stations will be built in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur as part of the “National Strategy for Efficient Use of Water Resources,” approved yesterday.

● The Russian and Azerbaijani border services conducted joint drills in the Caspian Sea. According to the scenario, the Russian ship “Brilliant” and the Azerbaijani ship “S 202” detected an intruder at sea. Boarding teams conducted inspection and detention of the violating vessel.

● A regular bus service to Lachin (a city returned to Azerbaijan’s control after the second Karabakh war) will begin on October 13. The ticket price for the Baku-Lachin-Baku route will be 16.20 manats (about $9.50).

● Ahmed Ahmedov, who killed five members of his family in Baku, will be forcibly treated in a psychiatric hospital, following a ruling by the Baku court.

Photo: A tourist reenacts a scene from the popular Soviet film *The Diamond Arm* at the spot in Baku’s Old City where the scene was originally filmed.

● A criminal case has been opened against a schoolteacher for indecent acts. He was arrested at the school in front of students, causing a public outcry. People on social media argue that the teacher should have been detained on his way home or at home, not at school. The Ministry of Education deemed the operation alarming, while the Ombudsman’s office announced an investigation, stressing that the primary concern of state authorities should be protecting children’s rights and interests.

● Armenia has begun flu vaccinations, with Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan being the first to receive a shot at a mobile clinic.

● Garegin Baghramyan, head of the Public Services Regulatory Commission, has resigned. His deputy Hakob Vardanyan also submitted a resignation letter shortly after.

● Displaced persons from Karabakh can now register their vehicles through a simplified procedure, as decided at a government meeting.

● The European Parliament has adopted a highly critical resolution on Georgia. One of the points is a recommendation to the EU to impose personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling party and oligarch, for “his personal role in yet another attempt to undermine the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation and steer it toward Russia.” The resolution accuses Ivanishvili of undermining the political crisis and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic orientation, suggesting a shift towards Russia. The document was supported by 495 out of 654 members of the European Parliament, with 73 opposing and 86 abstaining. Read more here

● In response, the chairman of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, called the resolution “blatant interference in the country’s internal affairs” and criticized the attempt to influence voters ahead of the upcoming elections. It is worth noting that Georgia’s constitution enshrines the goal of joining the EU, and the country was granted candidate status on the condition that it follows the EU’s recommendations.

● Nika Samkharadze, chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, called the resolution “shameful,” stating that the party respects democratic principles and election results, rendering the resolution unnecessary.

● Today, Germany’s Bundestag will vote on a critical resolution regarding Georgia. It states that Georgia’s leadership has turned away from the European Union, prioritizing Bidzina Ivanishvili’s hold on power over the country’s European future and democratic stability. The vote is set to begin at 19:50 Tbilisi time. The authors of the resolution are Germany’s Social Democratic Party, the Greens, and the Liberal Democratic Party. All three support Georgia’s EU membership but criticize the authoritarian and anti-European course of the ruling “Georgian Dream.” The resolution demands that Georgia make no further progress towards EU accession until the “foreign agents” law, modeled after Russia’s, is repealed. “This law is incompatible with core EU values and contradicts two priority actions agreed upon between Georgia and the EU: ensuring free civil society activity and combating disinformation against the EU and its values,” the resolution states. It also highlights how Georgian authorities “foster an atmosphere of fear and divide society by labeling their supporters as patriots and opposition supporters as traitors.”

● The Constitutional Court announced that two judges, Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tugushi, held a differing opinion regarding the consolidated lawsuit calling for the repeal of the “foreign agents” law, arguing it violates the Constitution. A month after receiving four lawsuits (later merged into one), the full bench of judges ruled to accept the case for review but did not suspend the law during this period. Two of the nine judges insisted that the Constitutional Court should suspend the law while the case is under consideration, believing the court misjudged the law’s potential consequences. Read more here

● A group of 59 NGOs criticized the court’s decision, accusing the judges of failing their duties, with claims that the ruling lacks legal basis.

● President Salome Zourabichvili met with the leader of the “For Georgia” party, former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, as part of her initiative to form a provisional government with opposition leaders, which will be proposed if the opposition wins the parliamentary elections on October 26. After the meeting, Gakharia told journalists that he was pleased with the discussion, had informed the president of his strategic plans, and shared his position. He noted that the prime ministerial candidate was not discussed.

● Gakharia’s party reported an attack on its activists, blaming ruling party supporters. The attackers reportedly insulted Gakharia and called for his political downfall.

● Georgia’s foreign ministry asked the election commission to reconsider opening a polling station in Israel due to safety concerns. The commission is reviewing the issue.

● The Communications Commission upheld the ruling party’s complaint and found three leading independent TV channels—Mtavari, Pirveli, and Formula—guilty of violating election laws. They will be fined for refusing to air unethical political advertisements from the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, which compares flourishing Georgian cities to war-torn areas in Ukraine to convince voters that the authorities promise to prevent war in Georgia. On October 5, the three TV companies released a joint statement saying, “Ukraine is being destroyed by Russian aggression, while ‘Georgian Dream’ continues to exploit the tragedy of the Ukrainian people for its own political campaign and demands that immoral banners be aired, which have already appeared on billboards in the streets. The ad contains military propaganda, calls to incite national hatred, and threats to voters of war,” the TV channels stated.

● Zviad Kharazishvili, head of the Emergency Situations Department and known by the nickname Kharaba, sold his 50% stake in the company Sarangi two weeks after being placed under U.S. sanctions. According to public registry documents, Kharazishvili sold his share to Alik Nadiradze for 10,000 lari (approximately $3,700), reported the Formula TV channel.

? The photo shows Constitutional Court judges Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tugushi, who argued that the “foreign agents” law should be suspended while it is under review by the court.

● “Armenia participated in the development but then did not sign the draft statement ‘On the Principles of Ensuring Security in Eurasia,’ adopted at the CIS Foreign Ministers’ meeting,” said Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova.

● Protesters outside the Prosecutor General’s Office in Yerevan attempted to demonstrate how to arrest Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. They brought a model depicting the prime minister and began wrapping it in ropes (as seen in the video). Police intervened, and in response, coins with portraits of Pashinyan and Aliyev were thrown at them. Opposition leader Bagrat Galstanyan believes a criminal case should be initiated against the prime minister “for complicity in genocide and ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

● Armenia will begin retraining teachers to teach the fundamentals of artificial intelligence. An experimental course has been taught for three years in six schools, and it will now be implemented nationwide. A memorandum has been signed between the Ministry of Education, Synopsys, and the Ministry of High Technology.

● “Azerbaijan supports a regional peace agenda. Azerbaijan is the initiator of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the 44-day Patriotic War (in 2020) and the five fundamental principles that form its basis,” stated President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting in Baku with John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the U.S. President on international climate policy.

● In Baku, over 5,000 taxi drivers have been suspended from providing services for failing to comply with passenger transport regulations, reported the ground transport agency.

● Job fairs will be held in Lachin and Shusha (cities that came under Azerbaijani control after the second Karabakh war in 2020). More than 42 companies will present over 400 job vacancies at the events.

● The bridge on the 42nd kilometer of the Guba-Khinalug road, which collapsed on July 29, has still not been restored (see photo). In response to residents’ inquiries, the state agency for highways stated that funding for a new bridge has not yet been allocated.

● One of the leaders of the TOST financial pyramid scheme has been arrested in Azerbaijan. Namig Jabbarzadeh has been detained, while Sahib Guseynov has been declared wanted, as he is believed to be outside the country. Jabbarzadeh and Guseynov embezzled around 5 million manats (approximately $3 million).

● “Azerbaijan made a significant contribution to our common victory in World War II,” said President Ilham Aliyev at the CIS Heads of State Council, where the decision was made to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism. “With a population of 3.4 million at the time, around 700,000 Azerbaijanis went to the front, with more than 350,000 killed. 130 Azerbaijanis were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. During the war, Azerbaijani oil workers supplied over 80% of the required oil and oil products and 96% of lubricants for military equipment,” Aliyev noted.

● “We see the unanimous decision of around 200 countries to hold COP29 in Baku as a sign of respect from the global community toward Azerbaijan,” said Ilham Aliyev.

● The cultural capital of the CIS in 2025 will be Lachin, a city that returned to Azerbaijan’s control after the second Karabakh war in 2020.

● The newly elected parliament of Azerbaijan, as of September, has not formed a working group on interparliamentary relations with France, though groups with other countries were established. The previous parliament’s group on relations with France had suspended its activities, citing France’s “destructive stance.”

● “There is a need for social media legislation in Azerbaijan. Social media platforms manipulate public opinion. Several developed countries have already passed similar laws, and we should consider doing the same,” said MP Vugar Iskenderov at a parliamentary session, adding that social media in Azerbaijan is “governed by the law of the jungle.”

● Polad Bulbuloglu has been elected head of the working group on Azerbaijan-Russia interparliamentary relations. Previously, he served as Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia for 18 years.

● Azerbaijan is launching a unified student card, which will offer students discounts in various sectors, including transportation and social services.

● Russian border guards will leave the Armenia-Iran checkpoint starting January 1, 2025, with Armenian guards taking over. Armenian border guards will also join Russian forces at the Turkey and Iran borders. This agreement was reached during a meeting between Pashinyan and Putin in Moscow, according to Armenian PM’s spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan. Russian guards have been solely responsible for these borders since Armenia gained independence after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

● “Armenia is not formally withdrawing from the 2020 trilateral agreement with Azerbaijan and Russia, but there is no progress in unblocking regional communications. This can only be achieved with Russia’s involvement,” said Russian Deputy PM Alexei Overchuk.

● Armenia is ready to provide Azerbaijan with a transport route to Nakhchivan under the same conditions as Iran, stated PM Nikol Pashinyan, rejecting Baku’s accusations that Armenia is unwilling to open communication routes.

● Armenia declined to sign several statements during the CIS foreign ministers’ meeting.

● Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leaders exchanged words while signing documents at the CIS summit in Moscow, but the conversation was inaudible. When asked what he discussed with Ilham Aliyev, Pashinyan did not respond, only stating that there is “enough agreed content for a peace deal with Baku right now.”

● While waiting for Armenia and Russia’s leaders in Moscow, their foreign ministers discussed “quadrabears.” In a video that went viral, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov can be heard asking, “Do you have quadrabears? Children dress up as dogs. This is one of the biggest news stories in Russia. They walk around like animals.”

● The Prosecutor General’s Office is demanding the confiscation of property belonging to Alexander Sargsyan, the brother of Armenia’s third president, and related individuals. The assets include 14 properties, 8 vehicles, shares in 5 companies, and $13 million.

● Placido Domingo took the stage at Yerevan Philharmonic. The 83-year-old performed at the XVI International Music Festival with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eduard Topchjan.

● Major renovations have begun on the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex “Tsitsernakaberd.” The government allocated $1.8 million, with the first phase set to be completed by the 110th-anniversary events in April 2025. Afterward, the Museum-Institute and administrative building will be renovated.

● Today, on October 9, the European Parliament will vote on the final draft resolution regarding Georgia. Initially, seven versions were submitted by different groups, but MPs have agreed on a unified text. It includes a call for personal sanctions against the ruling party leader, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, citing his role in “undermining the political crisis and Euro-Atlantic orientation, pushing the country toward Russia.”

● “The hearts of Georgian citizens beat for Europe. On streets and squares, young people wave EU flags as symbols of freedom and dignity. Georgian democrats expect us to be tougher on oligarchs who undermine democracy. It must be made clear that you cannot negotiate with the Kremlin, imprison Saakashvili, and move closer to Europe simultaneously. ‘Georgian Dream’ threatens to drag the country back into the Russian nightmare. We must stand with the Georgian people,” said French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann during the European Parliament discussion on Georgia.

● The EU delegation in Georgia announced that the country will lose €121 million in aid “due to democratic backsliding.”

● The National Bank of Georgia auctioned $60 million, with $48.5 million already sold at an exchange rate of 2.7194 GEL to the dollar. The action was aimed at “reducing the negative effects of excessive fluctuations and large single operations in the foreign exchange market.” The last few days have seen excess demand for foreign currency in Georgia, pressuring the lari. The bank stated that the fluctuations are short-term, while the macroeconomic situation remains strong. “Over the past three years, the country has seen significant economic growth, and since 2023, inflation has dropped below the target rate of 3%. There has also been a large inflow of foreign currency, making the situation even more stable,” the bank added.

● Pro-government TV channel “Imedi” released new pre-election poll results conducted by GORBI, showing 59.5% support for the ruling party. Only two opposition blocs crossed the 5% threshold: “Unity” (National Movement, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, European Georgia) with 13.6%, and “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa” with 10.3%.

In contrast, an earlier poll by the opposition TV channel Formula, conducted by Edison Research, showed only 33% support for the ruling “Georgian Dream.” Three opposition blocs and the “Gakharia – For Georgia” party (11%) are projected to enter parliament, with the pro-European opposition collectively gaining about 55%.

● Since the beginning of the year, 318 attempts to bypass international sanctions have been detected at Georgia’s borders. Last year, there were 852 cases, according to the Ministry of Finance.

● A march under the slogan “Georgia Chooses the European Union” will take place in Tbilisi on October 20 at 19:00 (pictured). It is organized by NGOs including “My Voice for the European Union,” “Court Oversight,” “European Orbit of Georgia,” “Kvareli Euroclub,” “Democracy Defenders,” “Sapari,” “Civil Movement for Freedom,” and “Transparency International Georgia.”

●  Elon Musk expressed openness to collaborating with Armenian high-tech companies in space and AI industries. This was mentioned in his written address to the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2024, which concluded yesterday in Yerevan.

●  A book on Ruben Vardanyan, the former Prime Minister of the former unrecognized NKR, now imprisoned in Azerbaijan, has been released in Armenian. The authors, Vladislav and Alina Gasumyanov (father and daughter), gathered comments about him from well-known figures worldwide. “Humanitarians like Vardanyan should not be imprisoned, they should continue their work,” said the book’s editor Gnnel Nalbandyan at the presentation.

●  Former Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan has returned to his legal practice and once again leads the AM law firm, according to the organization’s social media. Minasyan, who left the firm in 2022 after being appointed as Justice Minister, has become the managing shareholder.

●  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan traveled to Moscow for a working visit to attend the CIS Heads of State Council meeting.

●  Power went out again in Yerevan during a large international conference, this time at the WCIT 2024. The outage lasted an hour. Preliminary reports suggest it was caused by damage to two power cables by the construction company “Shinvectror.”

●  The Yerevan Metro will completely switch from tokens to a unified transportation payment system by the end of October.

●  This morning, another 16 families (60 people) of displaced persons moved to Shusha (Karabakh). As of today, 220 families (823 people) have been permanently resettled in the city.

●  Ilham Aliyev arrived in Russia today to participate in the CIS Heads of State Summit.

●  Azerbaijan repatriated eight more citizens from Iraq and Syria. Six citizens were brought back from Syria on September 18, and two from Iraq on October 7, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

●  Since November 2020, 379 people have been injured by landmines in Karabakh, according to the Ministry of Defense. Deputy Defense Minister Agil Gurbanov stated that over 156,000 unexploded ordnances have been found and neutralized in liberated areas.

●  An explosion occurred in a boiler room in the Nizami district of Baku, injuring six people. One is in critical condition, and another is in serious condition.

●  Farid Guseynli, 31, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the deaths of his 20-year-old wife and 8-month-old daughter.

●  Lachin (returned to Azerbaijan’s control after the Second Karabakh War) will become the cultural capital of the CIS in 2025.

●  Telegram founder Pavel Durov visited Karabakh during his recent trip to Azerbaijan, as revealed by People’s Artist Emin Agalarov in an interview with Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

Photo: Mud volcano in the suburbs of Baku

●  Ruling Georgian Dream has unveiled its election program, making bold promises for the next four years, including:

• Significant economic growth, with an increase in the average salary to 3,500 lari (around $1,300),

• Major infrastructure projects like the completion of the Anaklia deep-sea port, construction of a new major airport in Tbilisi, and connecting the Black Sea internet cable to the European system,

• Restoration of territorial integrity,

• EU membership,

• and progress towards joining NATO.

Local media are speculating why Bidzina Ivanishvili, honorary chairman of the ruling party, and Irakli Garibashvili, the party chairman, were absent from this key event led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

●  After a failed attempt a year ago, the ruling party is renewing the impeachment process against President Salome Zourabichvili. The reason remains the same—her foreign trips despite the government’s ban. Zourabichvili had met with European leaders to advocate for Georgia’s EU integration. Read more here

●  The European Council stated that “Georgia’s current course is halting its European integration and contradicts the fundamental values and principles of the EU.”

●  Registration for Georgian citizens abroad to vote in the October 26 parliamentary elections ended yesterday. The overall turnout was positive, with 4,500 citizens registering on October 7 alone.

●  The president announced that on election day, a special coordination center will be operating from her residence, monitoring developments across the country.

●  Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is not teaching constitutional law this semester at Tbilisi State University, as he has taken unpaid academic leave. In recent months, his lectures were regularly disrupted by student protests and clashes with police.

●  The civil coalition “My Voice” announced a march titled “Georgia Chooses the EU” on October 20 in Tbilisi.

●  Around ten schools in Tbilisi received bomb threats via email, halting classes. None of the threats have been confirmed so far.

In the photo: Silver Street in Tbilisi, the city’s oldest neighborhood. Photo by David Pipia/JAMnews

●  “Western ambassadors in Georgia are behaving inappropriately and directly interfering in the election campaign. They are making statements on direct orders,” said Kakha Kaladze, Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary-General of the ruling party. He was outraged by the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, calling the new election ads of the ruling Georgian Dream party “outrageous, shameful, and disgusting.” In Tbilisi, banners with two images – one of war-torn Ukrainian cities and another of Georgia’s blooming landmarks – are placed every 100 meters, with the slogan “We choose peace!” in large letters. Kaladze called on “international monitoring organizations to inform the world about the behavior of the EU ambassador and some other embassies in Georgia.” Similar claims about Western ambassadors meddling in the election campaign were made earlier by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and other leaders of the ruling party.

●  Three TV channels – “Formula,” “TV Pirveli,” and “Mtavari” – continue to refuse to air ads featuring these banners. They say the ads mock the Ukrainian people who are under attack from Russia. Since all broadcasters are required to provide equal free advertising time to all parties (at least 7.5 minutes for every 3 hours of airtime), these channels face fines. This would be their second penalty after refusing in September to air another clip from the ruling party, which stated: “Say no to the moral degradation of society” alongside images of prominent civil society figures.

●  Georgian IDPs from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, living abroad, will be able to vote in the October 26 parliamentary elections. Previously, they were not included on the voter lists, leading to debates with the Central Election Commission. It has now been decided that voters residing abroad whose registered address is not in an occupied territory will be added to special lists at polling stations. They must register with the consulate by October 7, which can also be done online via the consular service’s website. A valid Georgian ID or passport is required.

●  President Salome Zourabichvili has suggested that the opposition start forming their “cabinet of ministers,” which they would propose if they win the parliamentary elections on October 26. She recommended excluding current politicians from the list.

●  Leaders of the “Unity – National Movement” party were attacked and beaten during a meeting with voters in the village of Kardenakhi, in the Gurjaani district, Kakheti region. The party claims that the attackers were activists from the ruling Georgian Dream party. One of the injured, Levan Metreveli, was taken to the hospital.

●  Over 40 MPs have signed an appeal to Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, urging the termination of several agreements with the US and the suspension of USAID projects. They request measures to review Azerbaijan-US relations, including:
• Terminating existing agreements between Azerbaijan and the US,
• Immediately halting negotiations for new agreements or extensions of current ones,
• Closing all projects carried out by USAID and US NGOs in the country.

●  “Armenia must urgently address its clear territorial claim against Azerbaijan, embedded in its current constitution,” said the President’s Special Representative for Special Assignments, Elchin Amirbekov, in an interview with Faro di Roma and Eurasiaticanews. “The ball is in Armenia’s court today, and Baku hopes that this historic opportunity to turn a tragic page in relations between the two countries won’t be missed,” he added.

●  “Armenia’s false propaganda calling for a boycott of COP29 in Baku is regrettable. Armenia is not interested in lasting peace and is trying to preserve the current situation as a fallback to restart aggression against Azerbaijan in the future. Armenia should refrain from making contradictory statements and provocative actions,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

●  Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov flew to Moscow to attend the CIS Foreign Ministers Council meeting.

●  The import and sale of electric vehicle charging devices in Azerbaijan will remain VAT-exempt for another two years.

●  A new factory, whose foundation was laid in the Jabrayil region (returned to Azerbaijani control after the Second Karabakh War), will produce 24 million chicken eggs annually. In addition, it will host a feed mill with a capacity of 40 tons per hour and an incubator facility with an annual capacity of 24 million eggs.

●  Prime Minister Ali Asadov issued a strict reprimand to the president of “Azerenerji,” Baba Rzaev, for violations related to the use of gas in the fuel-energy balance and exporting electricity without approval.

●  Azerbaijani gymnast of Russian origin, Nikita Simonov, won a gold medal at the World Cup in Artistic Gymnastics Challenge Series. Simonov took first place in the rings exercise. The World Cup is being held in Sombathely, Hungary, from October 4-6.

●  Participants of the movement led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan initiated a march to the Constitutional Court in protest against the Court’s decision to approve the regulations for delimitation commissions with Azerbaijan. The Archbishop urged the judges to come and explain their decision to the protesters. Galstanyan stated that “the authorities are trying to make all key structures—the Constitutional Court, the Prosecutor’s Office, the police, and even the ruling party—complicit in the lawlessness in the country.” During the protest, clashes occurred with the police.

●  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenia’s new ambassador to Russia, Gurgen Arsenyan, discussed Armenian-Russian relations and the regional situation.

●  An incident involving a street performance by people in pink clothing in Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan sparked public outrage. Journalist Nairi Khohikyan was one of the first to share a video, presenting the performance as “an obvious sermon of depravity and satanism.” Without detailing the events, some people began to insult and threaten the participants and organizers. However, it was actually an interactive performance called “Invasion,” presented by the group Lud from Slovenia, which has been showcased in 31 countries.

●  The “Science Week” festival took place in Yerevan, where scientists showcased their achievements and demonstrated engineering innovations, including drones, robots, and 3D printers.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from September 30-October 4, 2024