Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 5-9 October, 2026

● The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop persecuting critics, journalists, human rights defenders and the opposition, release political prisoners and drop the charges against them. The resolution specifically mentions Ali Karimli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, and opposition politicians Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison, and Anar Abdullayev, who received a 12-year sentence. The resolution states that Azerbaijan has more than 300 political prisoners, including 19 Armenian citizens who have been convicted. The European Parliament said that any future partnership agreement with the European Union must include progress on human rights and the release of political prisoners.

● The Milli Majlis described the European Parliament’s resolution as a “biased political action” based on false and fabricated information, rejecting accusations of human rights violations and the existence of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani MPs accused the European Parliament of applying a selective and discriminatory approach to human rights and pointed to problems within European countries themselves, including the excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies and restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly. According to the Milli Majlis, restoring trust requires not declarative appeals but a genuine change in the European Parliament’s approach, an end to confrontational rhetoric and recognition of the equal status of interparliamentary relations.

Context. On 1 May this year, the Milli Majlis decided to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all areas. This followed repeated references to Azerbaijan in a European Parliament resolution on supporting democracy in Armenia. The document also claimed that Azerbaijan was “illegally holding Armenian prisoners of war” and called for their immediate and unconditional release. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry condemned these as “unfounded and biased statements”. In mid-September, President Ilham Aliyev described the European Parliament as a “breeding ground for corruption”.

● Representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a technical meeting to discuss the construction of power lines as part of the TRIPP transit project from Azerbaijan through Armenia. Particular attention was reportedly paid to coordination between the relevant agencies.

● President Ilham Aliyev attended the eighth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. Azerbaijan became a full member of this format in November 2025. In 2027, Azerbaijan will assume the chairmanship of the Consultative Meeting format for the first time, for a one-year term.

● Speaking at the forum, Ilham Aliyev highlighted the significant expansion of trade and economic cooperation, joint projects and regular reciprocal high-level visits.

Last year, Azerbaijan’s trade turnover with Central Asian countries increased by more than 50 per cent.

Joint investment funds have been established by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, each with capital amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ilham Aliyev identified transport routes connecting both shores of the Caspian Sea as a key area of cooperation. These include the Digital Silk Way project, which involves laying fibre-optic cables along the seabed of the Caspian Sea.

Transit freight volumes along the Middle Corridor increased by more than 10 per cent last year and by almost another 20 per cent in the first eight months of this year.

Oil from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan is transported through Azerbaijan.

Work is under way with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to establish a green energy corridor.

● Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov proposed creating a unified electronic trading platform for Central Asia and Azerbaijan at the meeting. He also proposed combining the region’s tourism potential by establishing a Caspian route under the slogan “One journey – several countries”.

● Tajik President Emomali Rahmon proposed holding a Central Asia–Azerbaijan business forum in the city of Khiva in 2027. The forum would develop concrete ways to implement the formula “Six economies – one product”.

● Member states of the Organisation of Turkic States will create a unified map and catalogue of geographical names. The agreement was reached in Astana following the third meeting of the heads of cartographic institutions of the OTS member states.

● The Foreign Ministry issued a statement following mine explosions in the Jabrayil district, in which a father and son grazing livestock in an uncleared area sustained serious injuries. According to the ministry, 443 people have been affected by landmines in territories liberated from Armenian occupation since the end of the 2020 war. Azerbaijan is calling on the international community to pay greater attention to the country’s mine-clearance efforts, the statement said. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor General’s Office once again urged citizens to observe safety rules.

● President Ilham Aliyev posted a message on X expressing hope that “the historic efforts of President Donald Trump to establish lasting peace in our region will receive due recognition in the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize”. Aliyev recalled that “Azerbaijan and Armenia jointly nominated President Trump on my initiative”.

PHOTO: A visit to Aghdam in Karabakh by internationally renowned travellers from 13 countries has come to an end. The group members belong to the international Most Traveled People club. They visited the Aghdam Imaret complex.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is attending a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. Footage has emerged on social media showing him engaged in an animated informal conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a one-on-one meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Turkmenbashi. The discussions reportedly focused on developing bilateral trade and economic ties. The importance of establishing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and promoting regional cooperation was also emphasised.

● Nikol Pashinyan also met with the president of Turkmenistan.

● No exact dates have yet been set for Nikol Pashinyan’s upcoming visit to Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Earlier, Vladimir Putin invited Pashinyan to visit Moscow to discuss specific issues of bilateral cooperation. The invitation followed their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.

● The extradition of Azerbaijani serviceman Nasimi Musayev, who illegally crossed into Armenia and injured a local woman, is not being discussed, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told journalists during his regular one-hour briefing. He also stressed that Baku had not made such a request. At the same time, he said that if Musayev had not committed a crime, Armenia would have returned him the same day. Read more here.

● Foreign Minister and Minister of International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. They discussed progress in implementing agreements reached during Mirzoyan’s visit to Tehran earlier this week.

● A commission has been established in Armenia by decision of the prime minister to prevent the introduction and spread of plague from Russia’s Irkutsk region into Armenia.

● The Armenian authorities have approved a proposal to sign the Council of Europe Convention on the Co-production of Audiovisual Works in the Form of Series. The government said signing the convention would facilitate the participation of Armenian producers in international projects, expand opportunities for distributing Armenian television series on international markets and improve their competitiveness. Eleven Council of Europe member states have signed the convention so far: France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Moldova and the United Kingdom.

● Armenian Culture Days in Georgia have begun in Tbilisi.

● A man wanted in connection with a murder in Yerevan has been detained in Georgia. The 37-year-old, identified as M. M., is accused of committing a firearm murder in February 2026 in Yerevan’s Ajapnyak administrative district. He also faces charges of hooliganism and illegal acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition.

● The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning the attempt to ban opposition parties in Georgia. The document was supported by 445 MEPs, with 37 voting against and 97 abstaining. MEPs are once again calling for the release of people they consider political prisoners and for targeted sanctions against the leadership of the Georgian Dream party. Read more here.

● The Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into alleged violence against activist Sergi Kancheli by police officers. The case is being investigated under the article on abuse of official powers. Kancheli claims that on 27 September, six police officers stopped him, took him to a cemetery, physically assaulted him, cut his face with a knife and threatened him with a gun. According to the activist, he was also coerced into sexual intercourse. The Prosecutor’s Office said all necessary investigative measures would be taken.

● The European Union still believes in Georgia’s European future, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said in a video address published by the EU Delegation to Georgia. Kos said she remained hopeful about Georgian citizens’ commitment to freedom, democracy and a European future.

● Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova praised the Georgian government’s foreign policy. She said Western countries were trying to draw Georgia into “dangerous adventures” against Russia, while Tbilisi was resisting this pressure. According to Zakharova, Moscow understands Tbilisi’s efforts to limit external influence. She described the Georgian government’s position as a defence of national interests and sovereignty.

● An investigation is under way into the company Georgian Post. The Investigative Service has not specified when the investigation began or whether former company director general Levan Chikvaidze is involved. On 7 October, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said there were signs of corruption in the outsourcing of several Georgian Post services to intermediary companies.

● Danish brewing group Carlsberg has agreed to acquire PepsiCo’s production companies in Georgia and Armenia, Reuters reports. The company will acquire Iberia Refreshments in Georgia and JI Pepsi Cola Bottler Armenia in Armenia. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and its completion in Armenia requires government approval. According to BM.GE, PepsiCo’s production operations in Georgia, including Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, as well as local brands produced by Iberia Refreshments, will come under Carlsberg’s management. The company plans to establish a unified South Caucasus business cluster that will also include Azerbaijan.

● Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has charged 21 people with facilitating prostitution. According to the investigation, the accused opened massage parlours and hotels in Tbilisi, Marneuli and Kutaisi where sexual services were provided, keeping part of the proceeds for themselves. All 21 have been arrested. The offence is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

● An Armenian citizen wanted by Interpol under a Red Notice on charges of group murder has been arrested in Tbilisi. The arrest was carried out at the request of Armenian law enforcement authorities. The detainee is accused of group murder, hooliganism and illegal possession of firearms in Armenia. Legal procedures for his extradition to Armenia are under way.

● The assets of Georgia’s Pension Fund have exceeded 10.1 billion lari (approximately $3 billion). According to the fund, as of 30 September, 1,778,000 people were participating in the funded pension scheme. So far, 37,010 people have accessed their accumulated pension savings.

● Georgian-born doctor Shota Musaev has received an Israeli presidential award for civilian heroism. Musaev provided emergency medical assistance to a seriously injured pilot aboard a Flydubai flight and stopped the bleeding. On the plane travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife. Four passengers subdued the attacker, while Musaev, the only doctor among the 174 people on board, treated the injured pilot. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

● Georgian specialists may be involved in the restoration of one of the Georgian churches in Russia. Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Georgian Patriarchate’s public relations service, said dialogue on the matter had already begun. According to Jagmaidze, the church is not in Moscow. Its exact location and details of the restoration work remain unknown.

● Customs officers at the Red Bridge checkpoint on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border have discovered more than nine kilograms of undeclared silver and silver items. The goods were found during a detailed inspection of a truck driven by a Georgian citizen. The case has been referred to the Investigative Service of the Ministry of Finance.

● A draft resolution prepared by the European Parliament strongly condemns the attempt to ban opposition parties in Georgia and calls for the withdrawal of the constitutional lawsuit. The document also reiterates calls for personal sanctions against billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili (founder of the ruling party, widely considered the country’s de facto ruler), Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. The European Parliament will vote on the draft resolution this week.

● The EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss Georgia next week. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said this in the European Parliament in response to a question about the possibility of a broader suspension of Georgia’s visa-free regime and the introduction of targeted sanctions. Kos noted that the current developments in Georgia will be reflected in the European Commission’s enlargement report.

● Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called Bidzina Ivanishvili the leader of the ruling team and the country, and said he plays a decisive role in ensuring the country’s security, peace and development. Kobakhidze also highlighted Ivanishvili’s key role in combating corruption at the highest levels of government. He made these statements in response to critical messages from convicted former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. According to Kobakhidze, over the past year and a half, the highest levels of government have “in principle, been freed” of corruption.

● Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mikhail Kalugin said the EU is pushing Georgia towards “destructive confrontation” with Russia and putting pressure on Tbilisi to join anti-Russian sanctions. According to Kalugin, Georgia’s economic ties with Russia are “natural”. He also said that the initiative to restore diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia should come from Tbilisi.

● Activist Sergi Kancheli has accused police officers of physical violence, threatening him with a weapon and attempting sexual assault. According to him, on 27 September, six police officers stopped him while he was out running, took him to a cemetery and abused him for about 50 minutes. Kancheli links the incident to his civic activism. The activist says he has left Georgia and is currently in a safe country. He says he has already filed a lawsuit against the alleged attackers.

● The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) reports coercion against the lawyer of jailed Giorgi Davitadze, who previously stated that prison guards had raped him in prison. According to GYLA, the lawyer was detained for several hours inside the prison and forced to withdraw recordings he had made during a meeting with Davitadze. Convicted opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili said Davitadze’s case was accompanied by a large-scale protest in the prison, and several inmates injured themselves. The Penitentiary Service denies any acts of violence against Davitadze. GYLA is demanding an investigation and an immediate response from the Public Defender.

● The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted by consensus a resolution reaffirming support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and addressing the human rights situation in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, occupied by Russia. The resolution calls for immediate and unhindered access to the occupied regions for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and international monitoring mechanisms. Georgia has submitted this resolution to the UN Human Rights Council annually since 2017. More details here.

● Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze said around 35,000 families will no longer receive unemployment benefits following an assessment showing that their social conditions have improved. Around 80,000 families have been assessed so far. According to the minister, as a result of reviewing the social assistance database, the state expects to redirect several tens of millions of lari.

● The drug Givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is already in Georgia, and its free distribution to patients will begin in the coming days. According to the government, negotiations have also been completed to purchase another drug, Vamorolon. The innovative drug Trikafta for the treatment of cystic fibrosis will also be added to the state programme. All three drugs will be provided to patients free of charge.

● Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili has been appointed deputy prime minister.

● New airports in the cities of Mestia and Telavi will become operational in 2028, with each able to handle up to 50,000 passengers a year. There are also plans to increase Tbilisi Airport’s capacity to 10 million passengers and put a new runway into operation at Kutaisi Airport. The government also plans to purchase new locomotives, carriages and passenger trains.

● The Georgian Railway workforce has been reduced by 1,100 employees, resulting in annual savings of 25 million lari (around $10 million).

● In the second quarter of 2026, the number of visits to Georgia from Europe increased by 23.4%, from China by 16.7%, and from Central Asia by 3.1%, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.

● The state will invest 31 million lari (around $12 million) in infrastructure at the Gudauri ski resort. New cable cars, ski routes and an artificial snowmaking system are planned.

● Georgia plans to bring in around 200,000 free doses of seasonal flu vaccine this year. According to the director of Iashvili Children’s Hospital, the composition of the vaccine has been completely updated this year. The number of flu cases in Georgia is expected to increase from November, with the peak expected in late December and early January. The optimal period for vaccination is late October and early November.

● A new correctional facility with capacity for 150 inmates will open in Rustavi. According to the Justice Ministry, construction is almost complete and the facility will begin receiving inmates in early 2027.

● At the World Judo Championships in Baku, Tato Grigalashvili won the gold medal in the under-81 kg category. In the final, he defeated Azerbaijani judoka Zelim Tskayev in extra time. The 26-year-old Grigalashvili became world champion for the fourth time. He previously won the title in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and reached the world championship final for the sixth consecutive time.

● Turkey’s ruling AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik said that “some countries are trying to destabilise relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan”, while some groups and social media users in Turkey are mistakenly targeting Azerbaijan. Çelik said Ankara and Baku are bound by strong brotherly ties based on the principle of “One nation, two states”, and that the two countries’ leaders have a brotherly relationship. “At the same time, each country has its own domestic politics, and there may be different approaches to domestic affairs and foreign relations. When we have disagreements on any issue, as brotherly countries, we resolve them through dialogue and continue on our path together,” Çelik said. Here is an analysis of the situation

● Azerbaijan’s Media Council protested against a report by German magazine Der Spiegel that an investigation into former German Federal Intelligence Service chief August Hanning is linked to Azerbaijan. Hanning was arrested on 6 October on suspicion of espionage, offences involving state secrets and attempted high treason. German prosecutors have not publicly named any countries or intelligence services involved, but Der Spiegel reported that Azerbaijan was among them. The council called the report “dirty disinformation” aimed at damaging increasingly close Azerbaijan-Germany relations. More details on the Der Spiegel report here.

● Pro-government Azerbaijani outlet AnewZ also rejected Der Spiegel’s claims, saying it had learned from senior German sources that Azerbaijan is not involved in the investigation.

● Former German Marshall Fund of the United States adviser in Azerbaijan Mehriban Rahimli was given a 7.5-year suspended sentence with a four-year probation period. She is accused of money laundering, abuse of office and other offences over funds received from the fund that were allegedly not registered as grants. Rahimli denies the charges, saying she was paid a salary under a service contract for 18 years, with taxes paid on time. “Can you receive a grant every month for 18 years?” she said. Rahimli is one of nearly 20 civil society representatives prosecuted after Azerbaijan revived its NGO case involving cooperation with international donors in 2025. Ganja Regional Community Centre head Asaf Ahmadov was sentenced to eight years and Ubuntu Social Work Association initiative group head Zamin Zakiyev to 7.5 years. Others have received suspended sentences, while trials continue. All defendants deny wrongdoing.

● Azerbaijan-British intergovernmental commission approved a 2026–2027 action plan at a meeting in Baku, covering more than 60 measures across 10 areas.

● Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted the shrinking Caspian Sea and called for joint action on shared environmental challenges at a CIS foreign ministers’ meeting in Turkmenistan. He also said the meeting discussed steps to increase freight traffic along the Middle Corridor and develop a strategic green energy partnership between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

● A consultation meeting of Central Asian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers was also held on the sidelines of the summit. The talks focused on transport and energy cooperation and environmental issues, including the Aral Sea, water resources and the continued decline in the Caspian Sea level.

● The UN Human Rights Council adopted an Azerbaijan-initiated resolution on the impact of landmines on the full enjoyment of human rights and assistance to victims. The resolution, co-sponsored by 70 countries, was adopted without a vote. Azerbaijan, one of the world’s most mine-contaminated countries, called for greater international support and sustainable funding for mine action and assistance to victims.

● Azerbaijan’s UN representative Shahriyar Hajiyev said Baku opposes the “politicisation of human rights” and interference in states’ internal affairs. He said 96,000 Azerbaijanis had returned to territories retaken after the conflict with Armenia, while more than 4,000 people remain missing from the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s. Hajiyev also said Azerbaijan had, in accordance with national law and its international obligations, brought to justice the military-political leaders of the former unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic whom Baku holds responsible for serious crimes.

● President Ilham Aliyev said 4,010 Azerbaijanis are registered as missing following what he described as more than 30 years of Armenian “military aggression”. He said the International Committee of the Red Cross had failed to produce results in searching for them and called on Armenia to provide information about their fate, burial sites and relevant archives. Aliyev also urged the UN and other international organisations to step up efforts to locate missing people and support their families.

● During a visit to Finland, Azerbaijani presidential representative Elchin Amirbayov held high-level meetings with officials from the presidential and prime ministerial administrations, the foreign and defence ministries, as well as the Finnish-Azerbaijani parliamentary friendship group. Talks focused on the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process and Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the EU. Amirbayov said Baku still expects Armenia to take steps to remove a major obstacle to formally establishing peace, stressing that “de facto peace does not yet mean the end of the peace process”. Finnish officials expressed hope for the agreement to be signed soon. The talks also highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security, ties with Central Asia and development of the Middle Corridor.

● Czech Transport Minister Ivan Bednarik will visit Azerbaijan from 11–16 October as part of a wider Czech delegation tour of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. He will be accompanied by Czech business representatives, including companies implementing or launching regional projects under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.

● Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Azerbaijan’s gas contract provides Georgia with 20-year guarantees on supply volumes and favourable prices. He also highlighted direct electricity imports from Azerbaijan and agreements on the joint operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Supsa oil pipeline and the Supsa oil terminal as strategically important for Georgia.

● The EU has supported Azerbaijan’s education sector since 2008, implementing 29 projects, EU Ambassador Mariana Kuyunjic said. She noted that the fourth Study in Europe education fair in Baku on 10–11 October will bring together a record 60 universities and national education agencies from 16 European countries.

● Azerbaijan’s Justice Ministry is introducing an AI-based property valuation tool for notaries. The system will allow citizens to receive an estimated current market value of property when preparing for a sale or purchase.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on the criminal case against an Azerbaijani serviceman who illegally crossed the border and entered Shaki village in Syunik Province, where he wounded a local woman. “There is no doubt that this is a criminal offence. The court will make a decision, and the sentence — at least part of it — should be served in Armenia,” Pashinyan said. He noted that Azerbaijan has also opened a criminal case over the incident.

● Nikol Pashinyan said the authorities had no certainty that the fugitive soldier was on Armenian territory, which is why they did not warn local residents in advance. “A mother’s instinct did not allow the woman to wait for the police to arrive, but if she had waited, perhaps nothing would have happened,” Pashinyan said. He assured that the Azerbaijani serviceman’s victim would receive all necessary assistance.

● Nikol Pashinyan accused the opposition of “losing its sense of proportion” and said that “they are turning a criminal incident into an act of sabotage and terrorism”. “Obviously, this serviceman had some kind of problem; he left his military unit without authorisation and ended up on Armenian territory. Yes, he committed a crime here. But I think with horror about what could happen if, God forbid, one of our soldiers suddenly loses his way, gets lost, in winter, in fog, and ends up in Azerbaijan. Objectivity must be maintained in all situations. And what if, because of the way this issue is being presented today, such a lost Armenian soldier is turned into Bin Laden in Azerbaijan?” Pashinyan said.

● There will be consequences for those responsible for lapses related to the Azerbaijani serviceman’s entry into the village, Defence Minister Suren Papikyan said. “But we will be able to speak about this in detail once the internal investigation is completed. Detailed information can only be provided after the internal investigation and investigative proceedings have been completed,” the minister said.

● Exports of Armenian-origin products to the EU have increased by almost 70 percent, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said. This includes a large volume of agricultural products.

● Danish brewer Carlsberg has agreed to acquire PepsiCo’s businesses in Armenia and Georgia, expanding its partnership with the US corporation and strengthening its presence in the soft drinks market, Reuters reports. According to the report, Carlsberg will acquire Iberia Refreshments in Georgia and JI Pepsi Cola Bottler Armenia from the Revery Group. The value of the deals was not disclosed. Once completed, the Carlsberg-PepsiCo beverage bottling partnership will cover 17 markets. Carlsberg plans to combine the acquired businesses with its existing operations in Azerbaijan into a single South Caucasus cluster.

● Russian state corporation Rosatom said it had jointly confirmed with the management of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant the safety of operating the plant’s second unit until 2031. The fifth meeting of the joint coordination committee was held in Yerevan, with representatives of Armenia, Rosatom and its enterprises taking part. The meeting discussed implementation of the project to extend the operating life of Unit 2 of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant for a second time, as well as the results of work carried out by Russian and Armenian specialists in 2024–2026. Documents confirming the possibility of safely operating the reactor unit until 2031 have been developed and approved.

● Armenia joined a CIS statement on preventing an arms race in outer space.

● Foreign Minister and Minister of International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan said that during his recent visit to Iran he discussed with Iranian officials the entire agenda of bilateral relations, as well as the international situation concerning the South Caucasus and Iran. The minister also addressed the issue of the TRIPP transit route, which is being developed jointly with the United States and will run from Azerbaijan through Armenia. “I want to reiterate that the hype around this project, which is deliberately presented in this way by some media outlets and opposition circles, does not correspond to reality. My impression is that Iran is satisfied with the process, with the full transparency we have demonstrated, our readiness to discuss all issues, as well as the economic opportunities that the unblocking and reopening of these same infrastructures will provide to Iranian entrepreneurs,” Mirzoyan said.

● A decision has been made to detain a teacher who used violence against a schoolgirl. The child’s aunt said the teacher hit the girl in the classroom, after which the frightened child ran out. The teacher then brought the child back into the classroom and physically assaulted her again. After the incident, the girl’s condition deteriorated. The teacher took her to the bathroom, washed her face and returned her to the classroom. “When the child came home, there were marks on her neck and arms, and her eyes were swollen. The girl was crying so hard that the family had to keep her at home, and she did not attend school for several days,” the child’s aunt said.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call. Pashinyan reportedly congratulated Putin on his birthday, and the two briefly discussed Armenian-Russian relations.

● Information has circulated online that a manager at one of Yerevan’s restaurants secretly filmed women in the restaurant’s toilet. In a public response on the restaurant’s Google Search page, the restaurant said that the manager had already been dismissed. Armenian Interior Ministry spokesperson Narek Sargsyan wrote: “The police have information about this. It is currently being checked by us. We will provide additional information about our actions.”

● New warnings to Armenia from Moscow. Mikhail Kalugin, head of the CIS Countries Department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said: “Armenia, of course, has the right to diversify its foreign policy. But if it decides to reconsider the allied status of its relations with Russia, it will also have to give up the benefits that Moscow provides only to its allies.” He cited the price of Russian gas as one such benefit and said Moscow does not object to Armenia buying gas from other countries, as this option is provided for under the 2013 Russian-Armenian agreement.

● At the same time, Mikhail Kalugin thanked Armenia and Azerbaijan for supporting Russia’s annual UN General Assembly resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism. He said Russia’s relations with the countries of the South Caucasus, as with other post-Soviet states, are based on a shared historical foundation, including common cultural traditions and the Russian language as a means of interethnic communication.

● Leaders of nine countries, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, will attend the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. He said no separate meeting between Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin is planned, but did not rule out the possibility of the two speaking on the sidelines of the summit.

● Azerbaijan and Armenia should decide where the next meeting of foreign ministers of the “3+3” Regional Cooperation Platform will be held, Mikhail Kalugin said. Russia is ready to provide the necessary assistance.

The “3+3” platform is intended to include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Türkiye, Russia and Iran. Georgia has so far refused to participate, saying official cooperation with Russia is impossible as Russia occupies its territories.

● The European Union is ready to support Armenia as it moves towards the EU, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said at a briefing in the European Parliament. “This is a big roadmap for us within the European Union — to prepare and send a signal to candidate countries: we are ready, and if they fulfil their commitments, we will fulfil ours as well,” Kos said.

● Nikol Pashinyan commented on calls for Armenia to exchange an Azerbaijani soldier who illegally crossed into Armenia and wounded a local woman and her children in the village of Shaki. Some in Armenia have suggested that such an exchange could allow Armenia to secure the release of several ethnic Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons.

“We have an agreement that cases involving soldiers crossing the border are dealt with separately from all other cases. If we say, give us one of the Armenian prisoners and we will give you this soldier — what happens if our soldier crosses the border tomorrow? Who would we give in return?” Pashinyan said in an interview with Infocom’s Ctrl Z programme. Asked about the difference being that the Azerbaijani soldier committed a crime on Armenian territory, Pashinyan replied: “That is a different matter: he committed a crime and will be tried.”

● The ruling Civil Contract party expelled former MPs Hayk Sargsyan and Avetik Ordian from its ranks. No reason was given. Media have long reported tensions involving the two politicians. Sargsyan said he had not been forgiven for making critical remarks at a party board meeting. Nikol Pashinyan, meanwhile, said the deterioration in relations was linked to evidence of Sargsyan’s or people associated with him being involved in illegal sand mining. Sargsyan was not included on Civil Contract’s electoral list for the parliamentary elections in June this year.

● The parliamentary faction of the pro-Russian opposition Strong Armenia party said it plans to establish an investigative commission to examine deaths in the armed forces during peacetime, as well as the incident involving the Azerbaijani soldier in Shaki. The proposal was supported by the faction of another pro-Russian opposition party, Armenia. The ruling party said it was unlikely to support the commission, arguing that there are competent authorities responsible for investigating deaths and suicides in the armed forces.

● The same two factions said they would not vote on the creation of an investigative commission on the church or participate in its work. Today’s National Assembly agenda includes a proposal to establish such a commission “to examine the crisis in the Armenian Church resulting from the activities of a number of clergymen, as well as the Church’s failure to fulfil its exclusive mission in the spiritual life of the Armenian people”.

● The same two factions are demanding the resignation of Defence Minister Suren Papikyan. They accuse him of campaigning in Stepanavan at the time when the Azerbaijani soldier illegally crossed the border and entered Syunik. Civil Contract MP Arpi Davoyan says the allegations are false. Parliamentary Speaker Ruben Rubinyan told journalists he sees no grounds for Papikyan’s resignation.

● A scuffle broke out in Armenia’s parliament between MPs from the ruling Civil Contract party and the opposition. The confrontation began during remarks by Edgar Ghazaryan, an MP from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia faction, who accused the speaker of misappropriating state funds. The speaker cut off his microphone, saying the remarks were unrelated to the agenda. After the microphone was switched off again, Civil Contract MP Vahe Galumyan got into an argument with opposition MPs, which escalated into a physical altercation. The session was suspended. The work of the parliamentary commission on the situation surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church was also a source of tension, with the opposition arguing that the commission’s creation is unconstitutional.

● Armenian-Lithuanian bilateral defence consultations were held in Yerevan. A bilateral cooperation programme between the two defence ministries for 2027 was signed following the consultations.

● The Public Broadcaster’s Council decided to discipline Executive Director Hovhannes Movsisyan and his deputy Levon Margaryan because, on the sixth anniversary of the 2020 44-day war with Azerbaijan, the broadcaster did not air information about the anniversary and instead showed a concert by a popular singer.

● Armenian schoolchildren won one gold and two bronze medals at the international “English Without Borders” Olympiad.

● Armenia will mark Civil Servants’ Day on 23 June. The relevant bill has so far been approved by parliament in its first reading.

● UK Trade Minister Anas Sarwar, who is also co-chair of the bilateral intergovernmental commission, is visiting Baku. During a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, he delivered a letter from the UK prime minister highlighting the importance of growing cooperation between the two countries. The sides noted the recent visit by the UK defence minister and the overall increase in the number of official visits from London to Baku. They discussed prospects for cooperation in energy, trade, security and defence, data centres and other areas.

● UK Trade Minister Anas Sarwar also met Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov. They discussed prospects for cooperation in innovation and strengthening partnerships between the two countries’ business communities. Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the UK increased by 67% in 2025.

● Four cooperation documents were signed during the eighth meeting of the Azerbaijan-UK Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Baku.

• • PMD Group and Chapman Taylor signed an agreement to cooperate on developing the Northern Gates of Baku mixed-use residential and business complex.
• • InterOcean Energy Services and Green Lines Shipping LLC signed a framework cooperation agreement and agreed to establish a joint venture.
• • Xlinks Limited and Green Lines Shipping LLC signed a memorandum of understanding.
• • Xlinks Limited and Green Corridor Alliance signed a memorandum of understanding.

• A 2026–2027 action plan covering more than 60 measures across 10 areas was also adopted.

● UK Export Finance is ready to assume market risks for projects in Azerbaijan worth at least £5 billion, UK Trade Minister Anas Sarwar said at the commission meeting. The projects, particularly in infrastructure, clean energy and the Middle Corridor, have yet to be identified. “We also want to expand investment flows in the opposite direction,” Sarwar said.

● Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said the UK, with more than $39 billion in investments, is Azerbaijan’s largest foreign investor and one of its main economic partners.

● Anas Sarwar said Azerbaijan and the UK have the potential to raise their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership.

● Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met in Baku with Aryeh Lightstone, an adviser to the US special envoy for peace missions. They discussed the process of normalising relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, developing regional transport links and implementing the TRIPP (“Trump Route”) transit project.

● Another hearing in the ToplumTV case at the Baku Court of Appeal ended in a new dispute. Nine journalists and activists have been sentenced to between 12 and 15 years in prison. As at the previous hearing, four defendants were removed from the courtroom after an argument with the judge. This time, the dispute began when observers seeking to attend the hearing were denied entry without explanation. When the defendants protested, it emerged that the courtroom microphones were not working, further escalating tensions.

The ToplumTV defendants were convicted of smuggling, money laundering, illegal entrepreneurship and other offences. They deny the charges and say the case is politically motivated. Human rights defenders currently count 328 political prisoners in Azerbaijan; the authorities reject this and say those arrested are being prosecuted for specific criminal offences. Several international human rights organisations, as well as PACE and the European Parliament, have called on Azerbaijan to end political persecution.

● The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Azerbaijan to pay journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov €3,600 in compensation. The case concerns events dating back 12 years; the court found that Mirkadyrov’s right to a fair trial under the European Convention had been violated.

Mirkadyrov, 65, now lives in exile in Switzerland. He was a commentator in Turkey for the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo. He was detained in Ankara in April 2014 at the request of the Azerbaijani authorities and deported to Baku. He was charged with treason and accused of cooperating with Armenian intelligence services. Mirkadyrov was sentenced to six years in prison. The sentence was later suspended by the Court of Appeal, and he was released in March 2016 before leaving the country. In his ECHR case, Mirkadyrov said he had been unlawfully and without justification detained for almost two years and sought €100,000 in material damages and the same amount in moral damages.

●  Finance Minister Sahil Babayev and Dima Al-Yahya, head of the International Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), discussed the modernisation of Azerbaijan’s treasury system and prospects for attracting private capital and international financial institutions to digital transformation projects in the country.

● A German-Azerbaijani conference on “Financial Opportunities for Infrastructure, Green Energy and Digital Connectivity along the Middle Corridor” is taking place in Baku. Participants include government officials from Germany, Azerbaijan and partner countries, financial institutions, project owners and business representatives.

● Rashad Khaligov of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport said Azerbaijan’s approach to digital transformation is based on a single strategic programme rather than a collection of separate IT initiatives. The programme includes 58 projects already under way, 18 of which have priority status, including the creation of a National Data Lake House and the integration of all government services into a single myGov app. Khaligov said Azerbaijan’s abundant energy resources give it significant competitive advantages as a potential major global hub for computing capacity.

● Middle Corridor countries are working on a unified management platform modelled on the Council of the Baltic Sea States, according to Fariz Aliyev of the Ministry of Digital Development. The proposed structure would have two levels: expert working groups and a group of senior officials and relevant ministers. The model is expected to improve coordination of logistics along the entire route.

● Azerbaijan plans to attract European and Chinese operators to develop the Port of Baku and significantly expand its cargo-handling capacity over the next 3–5 years, said Khudayar Hasanli, an adviser to the port’s director.

● Germany’s VNG AG is interested in increasing gas imports from Azerbaijan and moving to long-term contracts, said the company’s senior vice president Oliver Hill.

● The Trans-Caspian fibre-optic link between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is expected to become operational by the end of October, Kazakhstan’s Digital Development Minister Jaslan Madiev said. The 390-kilometre cable has already been laid along the seabed of the Caspian Sea. The link is expected to create a new corridor for direct, high-speed data transmission between Asia and Europe.

The Trans-Caspian fibre-optic link is an important part of the “Digital Silk Road” telecommunications corridor, which will run through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria. Specialists describe it as one of the shortest and most efficient routes, offering high capacity and low latency.

● A new bill on the protection and promotion of whistleblowers reporting corruption offences is under consideration. Reports of corruption would have to be reviewed within 20 working days; whistleblowers would be entitled to protection and compensation; and disclosing classified information about corruption would not be considered unlawful disclosure, among other changes. Read more here

● Azerbaijan will allocate $10 million over the next five years to support projects addressing climate change in small island developing states. President Ilham Aliyev announced this in an address to participants of a Pre-COP 2026 leaders’ event. The projects will focus on water supply, food security and cultural heritage restoration. More than 10 small island developing states have also benefited from an educational grant programme allowing their citizens to study at Azerbaijani universities.

● Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye held joint special forces exercises, “Eternal Brotherhood – V”.

● Azerbaijan’s UN representative called for international cooperation to establish the fate of 71 children among more than 4,000 people who went missing during the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s. Shahriyar Hajiyev made the statement at a UN General Assembly committee meeting. He also identified landmine contamination as a major humanitarian problem in the post-conflict period, saying mines left over from what he described as more than 30 years of Armenia’s occupation had killed or seriously injured more than 3,400 people, including children and young people since the 1990s.

● The Constitutional Court held its first hearing on a lawsuit filed by the ruling Georgian Dream party seeking to ban several opposition parties over their alleged “unconstitutional activities”. The list includes United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo, Federalists and Gakharia for Georgia.

● Today, 7 October, the European Parliament will debate the issue. A vote on the resolution is scheduled for 8 October. Georgian Dream MP Archil Gorduladze called the expected resolution an “attack on Georgia’s sovereignty”.

● EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said Georgia is “a candidate country for EU membership only on paper”. She said developments in Georgia will be reflected in the European Commission’s enlargement report at the end of October. The European Commission will present indicative enlargement plans for Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine as part of its 2026 package, while Georgia is not among these four countries.

● Plea agreements are nearing completion with two people convicted over an attempt to seize the presidential administration on 4 October last year, Murtaz Zodelava and Lasha Beridze. According to Interpressnews, their actual prison terms could be reduced to one year and one month each. If the agreements are approved on these terms, they will be released on 4 November. Both are currently serving seven-year sentences.

● US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson claims the ruling Georgian Dream party rigged Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections by creating obstacles to voting by the Georgian diaspora abroad. Wilson compared this with current developments in Serbia, saying the government of Aleksandar Vučić is trying to do the same.

● Georgian NGOs and foreign experts presented a study at the OSCE on the alleged use of chemical irritants during protests in November–December 2024 and their long-term effects. The study involved 524 people. According to its authors, more than a year later, 41% of respondents reported memory and concentration problems, 37% mental health problems and 29% hearing problems. Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has described information circulating on the issue as disinformation.

●  Former journalist Nodar Chachua has been arrested on drug charges and sentenced to prison by Tbilisi City Court. According to the prosecution, he is accused of purchasing, possessing and selling cocaine for distribution, as well as purchasing and possessing methadone and ketamine. His wife, former journalist Lalo Beria, has also been arrested and is reportedly accused of purchasing and possessing drugs.

● Businessman and well-known animal rights activist Tamaz Elizbarashvili wants to reach a plea agreement. In a letter published on social media, he admitted to making threats against seven employees of pro-government Imedi TV.

● Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili is attending the 153rd session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tanzania. He said the Georgian delegation will also meet with the speaker of Nauru’s parliament. According to Papuashvili, Nauru recently withdrew its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and established diplomatic relations with Georgia.

● Zurab Abashidze has been appointed Georgia’s first ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Albania. Abashidze served as the prime minister’s special representative for relations with Russia from 2012 to 2024 and as a prime minister’s adviser in 2024–2025.

● All motor traffic has been temporarily banned following a rockslide on the 26th kilometre of the Vaziani–Gombori–Telavi road.

● Two Russian drones attacked a Turkish cargo ship carrying corn in the Black Sea, with Azerbaijani citizens on board. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the incident, saying the ship’s captain was killed in the strike. According to preliminary information, the Royad Mammadov was in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea, near the Neptune Deep gas platforms. Romania’s Foreign Ministry said two people were killed and 11 crew members rescued. There is no information yet on the fate of the Azerbaijani citizens.

In early September, two Azerbaijani citizens were killed in a Russian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea. In July, the Turkish-owned commercial vessel Atlas Bey, operated by Okean Maritime, was hit by a Russian missile off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine. Eleven Azerbaijani citizens were on board and the Azerbaijani captain was killed. Another Russian attack took place in June on a foreign vessel in the Sea of Azov. All 25 crew members were Azerbaijani citizens; four were killed and four others injured.

● Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed prospects for strategic partnership between the two countries and the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalisation process by phone. They noted significant progress in developing the strategic partnership since the historic summit in Washington on 8 August 2025. This includes agreements signed during Baku Energy Week and the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in the fields of energy, oil and gas production, investment and digital technologies.

● Azerbaijani and Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Shahin Mustafayev and Alexey Overchuk discussed development of the North-South International Transport Corridor and expanding freight traffic between the two countries.

●  German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Dirk Lellke said President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Berlin in July 2026 was a promising start to a new stage in Azerbaijan-Germany relations. Speaking at an event marking German Unity Day, he noted that the two countries had signed a joint declaration on the strategic agenda for bilateral partnership during the visit, “bringing relations between the two countries to a new, unprecedented level”. The ambassador also said Germany highly values the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

● Dima Al Yahya, head of the International Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), is visiting Baku and met with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Al Yahya said Azerbaijan is a natural hub for developing a digital corridor along the Trans-Caspian route, or Middle Corridor. She identified four key components of the DCO’s four-year programme: reliable digital connectivity, system interoperability, secure data exchange and movement of digital talent. According to the DCO, Azerbaijan already has many of these elements in place, with its digital government score standing at 82.7 out of 100. “Azerbaijan already connects the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Europe and the Gulf countries. The Middle Corridor can provide equally reliable movement of data, payments and digital services as it currently does for goods,” Al Yahya said. According to DCO research, digitalising trade and harmonising policies among Middle Corridor countries could increase intra-regional digital trade by $2 billion by 2028.

● Representatives of the press and public relations departments of the Azerbaijani and Georgian defence ministries met in Baku.

● A major new pharmaceutical plant, Gen Pharma Caucasus Manufacturing Operations, has opened at the Pirallahi Industrial Park. Its director, Farid Aliyev, told journalists that the main target is the domestic market, but products will also be exported, primarily to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Georgia. The plant’s main shareholder, with a 66% stake, is leading Turkish pharmaceutical producer Gen İlaç ve Sağlık Ürünleri Sanayi A.Ş. The plant is equipped with machinery from leading international companies. It has also established an official training facility for Karabakh University and Azerbaijan Medical University. The plant will provide permanent jobs for 178 people.

● More than 96,000 people now live, work and study in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, which Azerbaijan says were liberated from Armenian occupation during the 2020 Second Karabakh War. Anar Guliyev, chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, announced the figure. “The Great Return continues,” he wrote on X.

● During more than 30 years of occupation, Armenia illegally developed seven ore and 39 non-metallic deposits belonging to Azerbaijan, Milli Majlis MP Parvana Valiyeva said at a briefing organised by the Environmental Protection First NGO coalition. She said Swiss-registered companies Vallex Group and Base Metals made $177.5 million from illegal metal extraction between 2009 and 2017. “The Armenian side earned hundreds of millions of dollars from gold and copper mining, as well as tree cutting, and had no incentive to conclude a peace agreement. Freezing the conflict became a highly profitable business model for them. As a result, an environmental catastrophe occurred in the region, the consequences of which will be felt for centuries. The damage was caused by predatory extraction of mineral resources until their depletion, aggressive exploitation of copper mines and contamination of groundwater with toxic waste. It may take centuries to restore the destroyed rare walnut and oak trees. This is an environmental precedent that should make all humanity think,” Valiyeva said.

● Environmental Protection First held an event for media and experts titled “Environmental impact of mining activities carried out in Armenia”. Azerbaijani experts taking part said Armenia’s mining industry poses a threat to the environment across the region, as pollutants enter transboundary rivers through groundwater and damage the ecology of neighbouring countries. The mines in Alaverdi and Syunik were singled out as particularly harmful. “Armenia does not provide governments or the public in neighbouring countries with environmental impact assessment reports, despite its obligations under the requirements of the Espoo Convention, the main UN instrument on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context,” the conference heard. Participants also expressed serious concern about Armenia’s Metsamor nuclear power plant, whose reactors “were built during the Soviet era and have long exceeded their service life”.

●  Azerbaijan is simplifying the adoption process. A new presidential decree has amended the relevant regulations. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, the main aim is to reduce the time children spend in social institutions and accelerate their integration into family life. Under the decree, the period during which a prospective parent must meet with a child at an institution will be halved, from 40 to 20 hours per month. For children under three, the period may, based on a social worker’s report, be reduced to six hours over 10 days. Other changes have also been introduced.

● The World Judo Championships have opened in Baku and will run until 11 October. President Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony. On the first day of competition, Azerbaijani judoka Ahmed Yusifov won gold. It was the fourth world championship gold in the history of Azerbaijani senior judo and the country’s first world title in the 60kg category.

● Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has ended his visit to Iran. He met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. They reportedly discussed cooperation programmes on infrastructure development and energy, including infrastructure for unblocking transport links. Mirzoyan also briefed Pezeshkian on the implementation of the TRIPP transit project, known as the “Trump Route”.

●  Iran’s high-level participation in the upcoming UN COP17 environmental conference in Yerevan was discussed during Ararat Mirzoyan’s meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. “I hope the agreement on strategic cooperation between Iran and Armenia will be finalised soon. Today, the Caucasus region needs stability more than ever, and this should be ensured by strengthening official borders. Experience has shown that the intervention of extra-regional forces can lead to instability. The Americans failed to achieve any of their goals in their confrontation with Iran in the military sphere and suffered defeat, while in the political sphere they violated agreements in implementing the memorandum, dealing another blow to their own reputation,” Ghalibaf said.

● Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan met with a Turkish delegation in Yerevan led by Mustafa Pustu, director of Turkey’s Electricity Transmission Corporation. They discussed, among other things, the process of restoring and launching the Gyumri-Kars power transmission line. “We stressed the importance of interconnecting Armenia’s and Türkiye’s electricity systems for both bilateral and regional cooperation. The Turkish delegation has already met with the management of the Armenian companies Electric Power System Operator and High Voltage Electric Networks,” the minister wrote on social media.

● A resident of Syunik who was shot several days ago by an Azerbaijani serviceman who illegally crossed the border is facing three major surgeries. Ani Avetisyan’s sister said she has already undergone one operation, but her injured leg now needs to be reconstructed after doctors had to remove eight centimetres of shattered bone. Her knee and tendons were also damaged. Several officials, including representatives of the ombudsman, have visited Avetisyan in hospital.

● Andranik Kocharyan, former chair of the parliamentary defence committee and now a member of the Committee on State and Legal Affairs, said there are problems with border posts while commenting on the incident in which an Azerbaijani serviceman entered Armenia and injured a local resident. “We have encountered a situation that must be prevented in the future,” the MP said. Kocharyan also did not rule out the possibility that other Azerbaijani servicemen may have crossed the border and said the security services should not simply investigate but “comb the area”.

● Davit Sanamyan has been dismissed as deputy director of the National Security Service by a decision of the prime minister. Sanamyan was appointed to the post in August last year. It is not known whether his dismissal is connected to the incident in Syunik.

● US Deputy Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Riley Barnes called Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s speech at the Prayer Breakfast in Armenia “inspiring”. “Such a gathering is only possible in an environment where people can live out their faith openly, freely and without fear,” Barnes wrote on social media.

● The National Security Service has proposed creating a unified register of people missing as a result of military operations, based on information received from state bodies. Anyone with information about missing persons will also be able to submit it to the NSS for inclusion in the register.

● Russian Foreign Ministry representative Sergey Nyuppa said the “peoples of Russia and Armenia” want to continue deepening the people-to-people ties built over centuries, “despite the political situation”.

● The Interior Ministry said criminal police officers prevented a planned murder allegedly organised by a person under house arrest who is considered a criminal authority. Several people have been detained.

● During ongoing renovation work on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, Georgia, workers discovered three historically valuable stone fragments. One of the stones contains a surviving bas-relief of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. The fragments bear inscriptions in Armenian. The stones were found at the site where the Armenian Kamoyants Surb Gevorg Church stood before the Soviet period. One inscription contains the surname Kamoyants and the date 1788.

● Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani said convicted prisoner Giorgi Davitadze contacted his office on 26 December 2025 over threats of rape, insults and sexual acts against him in prison. The Ombudsman’s Office requested archived video footage from 20–21 December and reviewed both the situation in the cell and footage of Davitadze being taken to a de-escalation room. According to the ombudsman, the violence described by Davitadze was not confirmed by the footage. However, the ombudsman asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate other circumstances. Davitadze later told a court that prison guards had sexually assaulted him. The Penitentiary Service denies the allegation.

● Bishop Giorgi Jamdeliani of Marneuli and Hujab demands the release of the full video footage, including audio, in the Giorgi Davitadze case. He said the public has the right to know what happened in the prison and that those responsible for possible crimes should not go unpunished. The bishop also called for an investigation into the circumstances of the prisoners’ protest and possible beatings.

● Tbilisi protesters Murtaz Zodelava, Lasha Beridze and Guri Zhvania, convicted in the “4 October case” over an attempt to seize the presidential palace, have requested plea deals. The Prosecutor’s Office said they confessed to the crime and expressed remorse. Zodelava and Beridze were each sentenced to seven years in prison, while Zhvania received a five-year sentence. The Prosecutor’s Office said the decision on the plea deals will be made public later.

● Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has travelled to Tanzania with a parliamentary delegation to attend the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. According to the press service, Papuashvili will address the general debate and hold bilateral meetings.

● Georgia’s football team drew 0–0 away to Northern Ireland in the Nations League. After four rounds, Georgia are bottom of Group 2 in League B. In November, the team will play their final two matches — against Hungary in Tbilisi and Ukraine in Slovakia. The final group standings will depend on these matches.

● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia remains committed to mutually beneficial cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), led by Russia. “This cooperation is aimed at ensuring sustainable development across the region. Armenia is consistently promoting an agenda of peace, trade and transport infrastructure in the region,” Pashinyan said during an online session of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council. At the same time, he again raised the issue of Russia restricting imports of Armenian products. “No significant progress has been made in the negotiations, but we need to continue constructive dialogue,” Pashinyan said.

● Despite Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s latest statement that Armenia does not plan to leave the Eurasian Economic Union, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko used the same online meeting to warn Armenia against leaving the EAEU common market. “There is no need to rush to throw away something that is benefiting you today,” Lukashenko said. “Believe me, as an old president with almost 30 years in office, no one is waiting for us anywhere.”

● Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will visit Iran today.

● The Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press secretary posted about the foreign minister’s planned visit to Iran, using an old Iranian flag that is highly sensitive in Tehran. The flag was used before the revolution and is now used at protests against Iranian embassies abroad. “Accidental? Bad. Because a senior diplomat should know these details. Deliberate? Very bad. It is precisely because of such details that the bar in our relations keeps getting lower and lower,” Arega Hovsepyan, an MP from the pro-Russian opposition Strong Armenia faction, wrote.

● Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that “Armenia could become a second Ukraine”. “The political course chosen by Armenia’s current leadership will lead to nothing good,” he said.

● Medvedev told Iranian state media that “some countries are trying to divide the countries of the South Caucasus and damage Russia’s relations with Armenia”. Speaking to Iranian state media, Medvedev said: “First, the Western world offered Georgia NATO membership. Nothing good came of it. Georgia never became a NATO member. Its current leadership understands that this was the wrong approach. All this led to a conflict. Now our relations with Armenia are being put to the test.”

● Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze does not believe the Trump Route (TRIPP), a transit route from Azerbaijan through Armenia, could pose a significant threat to the traditional international transit routes running through Georgia. He said freight traffic along the Middle Corridor has increased sevenfold since 2020, creating an objective need to diversify routes.

● Kobakhidze said Georgia should continue work on the delimitation and demarcation of its borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia. “We have friendly relations with both countries, and work on this issue will continue in a completely friendly manner,” he said.

● Narek Karapetyan, head of the pro-Russian opposition Strong Armenia parliamentary faction, said he had a productive meeting in Strasbourg with officials from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM). They discussed a party programme aimed at reducing medicine prices in Armenia to levels closer to those in Georgia. “Very soon, we will come up with a very interesting solution that will allow every Armenian citizen to save hundreds of thousands of drams a year,” Karapetyan wrote.

● The Catholicos of All Armenians met with a senior adviser at the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships. No details of the meeting were released.

PHOTO: The life of the woman from Syunik who was wounded by an Azerbaijani serviceman after he illegally entered Armenia is not in danger. She is receiving the necessary medical care and remains under doctors’ supervision. “Her condition is stable, and she is holding up well,” Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan wrote on social media after visiting her in hospital. Read more on what happened

●  A video dedicated to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s keynote speech at the eighth congress of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party on 2 October has been posted on his social media accounts. It includes excerpts from his remarks on the importance of Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 Second Karabakh War and the liberation of territories that had been occupied by Armenia for more than 30 years. However, the main message is the importance of peace and justice. “There is no place for emotions in politics. If we had given in to emotions, we would probably have erected a third Victory Arch in the centre of Yerevan by now,” Aliyev says in the video. More on Aliyev’s speech, including his tough foreign policy statements, here.

●  A conference titled “From the Shusha Declaration to the Organization of Turkic States” was held in Baku at the weekend, with guests from Turkey, Uzbekistan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Representatives of Turkic states’ embassies, MPs and activists also took part. The forum focused on exchanging views on the shared historical and cultural values of the Turkic world. 3 October is observed as the International Day of Cooperation among Turkic States.

●  A private residential building under construction collapsed in the Bakhар settlement of Baku’s Surakhani district, killing one person and injuring another. An investigation has been launched.

●  Baku hosted the “Taste of Europe” culinary festival at the weekend, marking 30 years of partnership between the European Union and Azerbaijan. The festival was organised by the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan and opened by EU Ambassador Marijana Kujundžić. Representatives of the Belgian, French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish, Croatian, Austrian and Estonian embassies took part.

●  Azerbaijani judoka Ahmed Yusifov won the world championship in the 60kg category in Baku. He defeated Kazakhstan’s Sherzod Davlatov in the final.

●  Azerbaijan recorded its first win of the current UEFA Nations League season, beating Lithuania 1–0 in Baku. The result moved Azerbaijan to the top of the group with five points from three games.

●  Prisoner Iakob Guledani was found dead at Prison No. 17 in Rustavi. According to the Special Penitentiary Service, his cellmate found him hanging in the toilet. An investigation has been launched. Guledani’s family doubts the suicide version and is demanding evidence that there were no signs of violence on his body. According to the penitentiary service, he had been in prison since 2023 and was due to be released in 2028.

●  Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze rejected claims by convicted prisoner Giorgi Davitadze that ten guards sexually assaulted him in a conflict de-escalation room at the prison. Kobakhidze said the allegations were false and that this was confirmed by CCTV footage. The Special Penitentiary Service also denies that any violence took place. Davitadze made the allegations during an appeal court hearing and said the incident had been captured by surveillance cameras.

●  A total of 1,136 voters, or 51.6% of the electorate, took part in by-elections held in four municipalities. According to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission, candidate No. 41 Nanuli Khinikadze received 96.74% of the vote in Tsalka, while candidate No. 41 Vazha Kheladze received 87.16% in Vani. Vote counting is continuing at other polling stations. CEC Chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili said no complaints had been filed with district election commissions. One complaint was registered at a polling station and concerned photo and video recording rules.

●  Tbilisi hosted the traditional pro-European “Saturday march” under the slogan “Georgia against [oligarch] Ivanishvili”. Participants carried Georgian and EU flags and chanted: “Down with Russia’s rotten empire!”

●  Convicted former president Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on social media that he apologises to the country for failing to put up stronger resistance to billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili coming to power. Saakashvili also called on the “healthy majority in society” to forgive one another and unite. Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Coalition for Change, responded on social media that he saw no point in apologising for failing to prevent the mass vote for Ivanishvili in the 2012 parliamentary elections. Gvaramia said what matters more is what opposition supporters are doing today and their active participation in protest rallies.

●  Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili marked the anniversary of the events of 4 October 2025, when a group of protesters attempted to storm the presidential palace. “This is the day when they tried to overthrow Georgia and were themselves overthrown,” Papuashvili wrote. Dozens of activists have been arrested in the “4 October case”.

●  World-renowned opera singer Paata Burchuladze, who was convicted in the “4 October case”, released the “Declaration of the National Assembly” from prison, which activists published last year. It declares the Georgian Dream government illegitimate and calls for a “peaceful seizure of power”.

●  The dismembered bodies of businessman Mamuka Tsereteli’s former wife, Elena Tsereteli, and her 19-year-old daughter were found in Moscow. According to Russian media and the Moscow prosecutor’s office, Georgian citizen Teimuraz Gogiashvili, born in 1979, has been arrested in connection with the killings. Investigators say fragments of the woman’s body were found in an apartment in Moscow, while her daughter’s body was found in the suspect’s garage.

●  Tbilisi hosted the traditional Tbilisoba celebrations at the weekend, marking the capital’s birthday. The annual ceremony honouring Tbilisi’s 2026 honorary citizens was also held, with doctors, scientists, artists, journalists and athletes among those recognised. Mayor Kakha Kaladze presented symbolic keys to the city to 32 families.

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 28 September-2 October, 2026