NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg concluded his tour of the South Caucasus on Tuesday (19 March 2024) in Yerevan, Armenia where he met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Mr Stoltenberg praised Armenia for its long-standing partnership and contributions to NATO operations, including increased troop numbers in KFOR’s peacekeeping mission. “For…
“South Ossetia and Abkhazia are parts of Georgia,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in a joint briefing with Georgia’s Prime Minister in Tbilisi, Georgian Public Broadcaster reports. “Dear Irakli, it’s great to see you again. It’s good to be back in Baku and it’s…
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the resettlement of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in Georgia at a press conference held in Tbilisi with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. He also assessed the volume of humanitarian aid transferred by Georgia to Ukraine. Stoltenberg considered Georgia one of NATO’s closest partners, and highly appreciated the country’s…
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Baku on Sunday (17 March 2024), kicking off a three-day, tri-nation tour of the South Caucasus. Meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, the Secretary General welcomed Azerbaijan’s long-standing collaboration with the Alliance, saying he looked forward to further strengthening the partnership, NATO’s website reports. Mr Stoltenberg welcomed the…
Türkiye on Saturday reaffirmed that it does not recognize the “illegal annexation of Crimea” by Russia in 2014. Stating that the current situation in the peninsula “constitutes a violation of international law,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it underlined support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “It has been a decade since the…
Yerevan’s possible withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should be based on the real needs of the country; this decision does not correspond to the original national interests of Armenia and was prepared somewhere in the European Union. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. …
The United States reaffirms its enduring commitment to a durable and dignified peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, President of United States Joseph Biden stated in his congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Nowruz Holiday, Azerbaijani media reports. “As we mark this season of renewal and reflection,…
G7 countries warned Iran on Friday that they will impose “significant” new sanctions if Tehran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine. “We reiterate our call on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine or face severe costs,” the group, which…
The 9th trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey started in Baku, in which Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Georgian Foreign Minister Ilya Darchiashvili are participating. Within the framework of the trilateral meeting, tête-à-tête meetings of Jeyhun Bayramov and his colleagues are planned, as well…
Armenia has the right to be a candidate for membership of the European Union, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission of the EU Peter Stano told Izvestia. “Countries are entitled to aspire to a better future for their people. They are free to decide how to secure such…
Fergus Auld, British Ambassador to Azerbaijan, presented UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s message to Baku Xi Blobal form. “In 2024 “the UK will be there to support AZ in making COP29 a success. I hope by then you will have achieved lasting peace with Armenia, and we can welcome a new era for partnership…
Anne-Laurence Petel, Member of French National Assembly, Co-Chair of France-Armenia parliamentarian friendship group referred to the European Parliament resolution, adopted earlier. “By an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament adopted a resolution paving the way for Armenia’s possible candidacy for the EU. This is an important step to support Armenian democracy and the desire…
Armenian authorities do not comprehend the risks from the expansion of France’s military presence in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry official representative Maria Zakharova argued today. Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan reiterated Tuesday that Armenia will withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization if the Russian-led military alliance does not address its security problems. …
Minister of Defense of Georgia Irakli Chikovani met with the Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov. Issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of defense were discussed at the meeting. The parties talked about the importance of strategic cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan. Irakli Chikovani noted that Georgia continues to express…
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia – Vakhtang Gomelauri held a meeting with the Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan – Ramil Usubov, Georgian Interior Ministry reports. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs – Giorgi Butkhuzi and the…
A detachment of ships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet led by the Varyag guard missile cruiser has arrived in Iran’s Chah Bahar port to take part in the joint naval exercise ‘Maritime Security Belt – 2024,’ the Russian Defense Ministry said. “Russian vessels will participate in the joint naval exercise ‘Maritime Security Belt – 2024’….
Turkey hopes for the return of the money it had paid for the purchase of American F-35 fighter jets, Sabah daily wrote, citing Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler. “I believe we will be able to have the money returned we paid for the F-35s; the [respective] negotiations are ongoing,” Yaşar Güler said. Earlier,…
In an interview with the Naftemporiki newspaper, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias referred to use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine, as well as Turkey’s progress in their production. “It cannot be denied that technological developments in drones and anti-drone systems have changed the way warfare is conducted globally. During my recent visit to…
The armed forces of Azerbaijan are again holding military exercises in Nakhijevan. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. The units participating in the exercise play out a number of combat scenarios, including the capture of a conventional enemy’s fortified positions and a command post near the front line.
The office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, referred to the work of the border delimitation commissions with Armenia, stating that “the ownership of four non-exclave villages of Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan is indisputable, and they are subject to immediate liberation.” It was noted that the issue of four exclave villages will…
Turkey is ready to host a peace summit between Russia and Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, France 24 reports. NATO member Turkey has been positioning itself as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv since Russia launched its invasion more than two years…
The United Nations’ human rights chief said Friday that Israeli settlements in the West Bank have expanded by a record amount and risk eliminating any practical possibility of a Palestinian state, The Times of Israel reports. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the growth of Israeli settlements amounted to…
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday appointed his former military chief, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, to become Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain — a next step outside of the military for Zaluzhny a month after he was replaced, The Washington Post reports. Zaluzhny was offered the post last month but didn’t immediately accept, according to…
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has approved a draft resolution on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in Ukraine by a majority vote, Press service of Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reports. In particular, the document urges Russia to urgently withdraw all unauthorised personnel, including military forces, from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power…
Constantinos Kombos, Cyprus Foreign Minister referred to his visit to Yerevan. “Thank you dear Ararat Mirzoyan, for the warm welcome and hospitality today in Yerevan. Cyprus is, and will remain a loyal friend, a reliable partner and a voice of strong support to Armenia. In this context, I was happy to announce that…
Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesperson, referred to the police raid in Azerbaijan against independent news outlet Toplum TV, as part of the ongoing media crackdown in the country. “So we are deeply troubled by the reports that Azerbaijani police raided the office of independent media outlet Toplum TV and by the reported arrests…
Freedom House referred to the latest raid in Azerbaijan in an independent media outlet. “Today’s crackdown on Azerbaijani broadcaster Toplum TV is the Aliyev regime’s latest unacceptable attack on critical, independent voices in the country. The 10+ employees reportedly detained today join the dozens of other media workers in Azerbaijan targeted for their reporting….
Yaşar Güler and Zakir Hasanov, the heads of the defense agencies of Turkey and Azerbaijan, met in Ankara. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense informed that the prospects of military cooperation between Baku and Ankara and regional security were discussed during the meeting. There was also a reference to the prospects of development of cooperation between…
At the end of February, representatives of the Red Cross visited the former officials of Nagorno-Karabakh detained in Azerbaijan. Zara Amatuni, head of communication programs of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia, told ‘Lurer’ that they met separately, conditions were created for contact with their families. At…
Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesperson referred to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s rhetoric , who Armenia of going towards the West, and then promised that Moscow will respond to Armenia. “I’m not going to respond directly to that question, although it’s the kind of – it’s the kind of rhetoric that we have…
