On 17 December, a group of MEPs held a rally in support of journalists and activists arrested in Azerbaijan. MEPs from different political groups called to put an end to repression against civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan. On 18 December, within the framework of the Plenary Session of the European Parliament,…
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephone call on Wednesday focusing on bilateral relations and key regional issues, particularly Syria. “The call addressed relations between Türkiye and France as well as regional and global matters,” the Turkish Communications Directorate said on X. Erdogan voiced his approval…
“This is not a revolutionary movement in the traditional sense because there are no demands about who should be removed from power. It is a call to return to elections in a free and fair environment and to see where the will of the people in Georgia lies today,” said Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressing…
NATO has taken over coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine from the U.S. as planned, a source said on Tuesday, in a move widely seen as aiming to safeguard the support mechanism against NATO sceptic U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Reuters reports. The step, coming after a delay of several months, gives NATO a…
“The decision of the European Council should be viewed as an unequivocally anti-Georgian move that undermines the credibility of the European structures in the perception of Georgian society,” said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during the briefing at the Government Administration, 1tv.ge reports. According to the PM, such decisions lead to the devaluation of…
The explosive device that went off in a residential neighborhood in southeastern Moscow where a senior general in charge of Russia’s NBC protection troops was killed this morning had a capacity of some 300 grams in TNT equivalent, a law enforcement official told TASS. “The improvised explosive device had a capacity of some 300…
Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesperson said the Department is preparing new sanctions against Georgia’s officials to unfold in the coming weeks. “We have been greatly concerned about the state of Georgian democracy, the actions that Georgian Dream has taken to undermine Georgia democracy. You saw us just on Friday impose 20 new visa…
Canada’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance has resigned amid growing tensions with the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, over the looming threat posed by Donald Trump’s “America First” economic nationalism, The Guardian reports. Chrystia Freeland stood down on Monday, just hours before she was due to release the country’s first economic plan ahead…
France’s new Prime Minister, François Bayrou, who replaces Michel Barnier, began consultations with representatives of the main political parties at the National Assembly as part of efforts to form a new government, Euronews reports. Bayrou’s first meeting is with far-right National Rally (RN) leaders Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, who criticised his appointment…
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced France’s support to Armenia upon his arrival at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels this morning. “I call on the European Union to develop its relations with that country, with which France is very connected. We must again provide Armenia with all the support it has the…
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he was picking Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, as presidential envoy for special missions, a post where he will likely drive policies toward some U.S. adversaries, including North Korea, Reuters reports. “Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea,”…
My sincerest congratulations to Mikheil Kavelashvili, upon the election as President of Georgia, Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan wrote on his X page. “I extend my full support and readiness to work closely for the benefit of Armenia-Georgia traditionally brotherly relations. Wishing the President all the success in his future endeavours!” Khachaturyan stated on X.
The South Korean Parliament has voted to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, with 204 lawmakers voting in favour of the motion, the BBC reports. It means that Yoon will immediately be suspended from office, and the prime minister will become the acting president. However, the vote does not necessarily guarantee that he will be…
“The European aspirations of the Georgian people, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, cannot be betrayed. Georgia’s European dream must not be vanished,” said French President Emmanuel Macron in a video address to the Georgian people, Georgian Public Broadcaster reports. According to Macron, “The path is set, Georgia can now work hand in hand…
Turkey hopes that Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon reach an agreement and stable peace will be established in the South Caucasus, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said in a speech in the country’s Parliament. “Following the principle of “one nation, two states”, we have always stood by our brothers for the sake of the…
Georgia’s parliament passed a law on Friday forbidding protesters to cover their faces and banning fireworks and lasers from demonstrations following clashes between police and civilians at pro-EU protests, Reuters reports. The law, which imposes a fine of 2,000 lari ($720) for offenders, was passed unanimously, the Interpress news agency said. Lawmakers also…
The Department of State is announcing additional action today under the visa restriction policy that prohibits visa issuance to those who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia. Today’s action will affect approximately twenty individuals, including individuals serving as government ministers and in Parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens,…
Reuters. Denmark’s defence minister said on Wednesday (November 20) Danish authorities were following developments closely days after two fibre-optic data telecommunication cables in the Baltic Sea were severed. Speaking at a press conference in Copenhagen, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said he was looking at the incident very seriously. The Danish military said…
Following the US’ lead, Spain, Italy, and Greece announced that their embassies in Kyiv will not provide services on Wednesday due to an “increased risk of airstrikes throughout Ukraine.” According to Spanish daily Ultima Hora, the diplomatic mission informed Spanish nationals in Ukraine of the closure through email. The embassy asked Spanish citizens…
A US envoy conducting truce talks between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon said that an agreement to end the war between the pair was “within our grasp” on Tuesday, Euronews reports. Hezbollah’s allies in the Lebanese government reported the militant group responded positively to a proposal that both its fighters and Israel ground forces…
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received information of a potential significant air attack on Wednesday and will be closed, the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said in a statement. “The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received specific information of a potential significant air attack on November 20. Out of an abundance of…
The armed forces of Ukraine struck with six ATACMS ballistic missiles at the Bryansk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. Russian air defense systems shot down five missiles, one was damaged. Its fragments fell on the technical territory of a military facility in the Bryansk region, which caused a fire, which was…
Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) returned from Baku, Azerbaijan, where he participated in the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) on UN Climate Action, Pallone’s press office said in a statement. “Azerbaijani government sponsored protests greeted Pallone at both COP 29 and the hotel where he stayed. He avoided physical harm only through the efforts of…
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights O’Flaherty published today a letter he addressed to the President of Azerbaijan, in which he asks the authorities for the immediate release of all human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists who are imprisoned for their legitimate work or for expressing dissenting or critical opinions and to…
President of self-declared Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania filed a resignation, Vice President Badra Gunba told reporters. “For the sake of preservation of stability in the country, President Aslan Bzhania filed his resignation,” Gunba said. According to Bzhania’s statement, published by the president’s press office, he resigned “for the purpose of preservation of stability and…
Washington has informed Berlin about the decision to allow Kyiv to strike the depths of Russia with Western long-range weapons, the German Government reports. On the evening of November 17, The New York Times, citing American officials, reported that US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles to strike deep into…
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia Evika Silina on the occasion of the Independence Day. The message states: “I send warm congratulations to you and the friendly people of Latvia on the occasion of the national holiday, Independence Day. Armenia values relations…
Ten people, including two children, were killed and 52 were injured on Sunday (November 17) night when a Russian missile hit a residential nine-story building in Ukraine’s northeastern region of Sumy, Ukraine’s emergency services and military said, Reuters reports. Firefighters battled a blaze consuming cars and rescuers carried people out of the building. The…
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister of Japan Takeshi Iwaya discussed the strengthening of sanctions against Russia and the threats posed by North Korea’s cooperation with Russia, Ukrinform reports. “I have just met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan: he is on a visit to Ukraine. And what’s important is that…
Japan’s foreign minister arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Russia, including the deployment of thousands of troops to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, to reaffirm Japan’s “strong support” for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and to discuss…
