Caucasus

After representing the ruling classes for half a century, at 87 he has been accused of wanting to overthrow the Aliyev regime. His arrest is symbolic of Azerbaijan's new position on the international stage, which is bringing to fruition the military campaign to reconquer Karabakh and redefine relations with other countries in the Caucasus and the Middle East.

In the context of fierce opposition to Prime Minister Pašinyan's policies, Bishop Mkrtič, head of the eparchy of Aragatsotn, was also arrested, along with six diocesan priests. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the first to openly oppose the head of government, has been in prison since June. Lawyers for the Armenian Apostolic Church: serious violation of the law.

The disputed 40 kilometres between the Azerbaijani border and the Nakhchivan enclave through Armenian territory are of fundamental importance for the entire region. The Corridor will not only reunite Azerbaijani territories through Armenia, but will also significantly shorten the entire Eurasian and Trans-Caspian Corridor route, which is essential for transport that must avoid sanctions against Russia.

The Georgian Dream party won all municipal and regional seats in the local elections boycotted by the opposition. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze described the protest rallies that stormed the presidential palace in the centre of the capital as a ‘failed coup attempt’.

Following the agreement with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, the conflict between Armenia’s political and religious leaders continues in the United States. The Armenian Embassy in Washington announced a meeting with Matthew Potter, co-founder of an Evangelical platform close to the American far right. This is a new attempt by Pashinyan to undermine the historic authority of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Katholikos Karekin II's opposition to Prime Minister Pašinyan's policy on agreements with Azerbaijan is only the latest chapter in a ‘rivalry’ that has its roots in the very origins of what was the world's first Christian state. And Karabakh, which the Church does not want to cede definitively, was a symbol of the defence of its identity during the years of Soviet domination.

While the clash between pro-Russian and pro-European forces continues in the country, the government has committed to guaranteeing the purchase of all grapes that are not bought by the private sector. But according to local winemakers, this policy, a legacy of the Soviet era, does not contribute to improving the quality of production.

The Washington meeting confirmed the role of the US as mediator in place of Russia. Many issues remain to be resolved, including the international disputes between Yerevan and Baku, borders and prisoners. But the central issue is the opening of the so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor’, renamed the ‘Trump Corridor’ and under US control. The challenge for the Armenian Church.

The former soccer player and secretary of Georgian Dream wants a third term as mayor of the capital. The Putin-aligned oligarch, the country's “real master,” was present at the party. Anti-Western slogans and threats to expel the EU ambassador. For the opposition, the mayor-champion's new candidacy is yet another anti-Brussels “signal.”

After the incident involving a plane carrying 67 people that crashed in December due to “interference” with the war in Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Russia are once again in the midst of a diplomatic crisis over a police raid. In the background is the crisis of Russian influence in the Caucasus, increasingly overshadowed by Turkish activism in the region.

Two archbishops (including Galstanyan) are in prison after a police raid on the patriarchate in Echmiadzin. Pashinyan directly accuses Catholicos Karekin II and calls for his removal, while the Armenian clergy responds by invoking the excommunication of the prime minister. According to the government, Moscow is behind the Church's ‘manoeuvres’, but other voices denounce the use of branding all opposition with ‘the stamp of Kremlin spies’. In the background are geopolitical balances and negotiations with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is on the front line of the conflict between Israel and Iran, with its ambivalent role as a strategic partner of Tel Aviv and complex and contradictory relations with Tehran. But neighbouring Armenia also openly expresses fears that the conflict could be protracted, involving other countries in the region.