Azerbaijan Court Convicts Nine Journalists and Activists
A court in Azerbaijan has convicted nine journalists and founders of a top independent news outlet on charges of illegally receiving and using Western donor funds, giving them prison sentences ranging from twelve to fifteen years each; international media rights groups denounced the convictions as a restriction on freedom of speech (AP).
Senior Official Says Azerbaijan Will Not Sign Final Deal Unless Armenia Changes Constitution
A senior Azerbaijani official said that Azerbaijan and Armenia are at “real peace” and rebuilding trade links after decades of conflict, but Baku is insisting on changes to Armenia’s constitution—specifically the preamble, which contains a reference to another Soviet-era document calling for the reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh—before a final deal can be signed (Reuters).
Armenian Opposition Leader Charged With Fraud
Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the pro-Russian opposition party Prosperous Armenia, was placed in pre-trial detention for two months on suspicion of large-scale fraud and money laundering, Armenpress reported; the arrest followed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pledge to act against what he called the “three-headed spy party of war,” the three main opposition groups he accused of risking a new war with Azerbaijan (Reuters).
Pashinyan Hopes Armenia Can Resolve “Problematic Issues” With Russia
During a joint news conference with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he hoped his country could mend ties with Russia and resolve recent “problematic issues,” referring to the wide-ranging trade restrictions Moscow imposed on Armenia ahead of its June elections (Reuters).
Top EU Official Visits Armenia, Offers Support to Counter Russia
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Armenia, promising a $20.5 million aid package—the final installment of the $59.4 million package the European Union pledged in early June—and the elimination of import duties on most Armenian farm products, backing Yerevan’s push for closer EU ties as it faces economic pressure from Russia (AP).
Armenian Opposition Contests Ruling Party’s Election Win
Several members of Armenia’s opposition parties were arrested on charges of bribing voters in the country’s parliamentary elections; meanwhile, the opposition Strong Armenia party asked the Constitutional Court to annul the ruling party’s win, alleging electoral violations (AP).
Pashinyan’s Party Wins Armenian Parliamentary Election
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party claimed victory in Armenia’s parliamentary elections, winning approximately 49.81 percent of the vote, with the main opposition Strong Armenia party coming in a distant second at around 23.29 percent; Pashinyan described the outcome as a mandate to continue Armenia’s pro-European foreign policy direction (Al Jazeera)
Armenia-Turkey Talks
The two countries held talks in Turkey to discuss restoring a defunct rail line between them, the latest in broader steps toward normalizing their economic ties (RFE/RFL)
For decades, Turkey and its ally Azerbaijan spurned business with Armenia due to tensions over an ethnic Armenian exclave in Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijan occupied and dissolved the area in 2023 (EurasiaNet)
Azerbaijan Sends Aid to Iran
Azerbaijan sent humanitarian aid to Iran in a move that appeared aimed at easing tensions following fears the Iran war could spill into the Caucasus; the gesture comes days after Iranian drones struck Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave near an airport and a school, prompting Baku to accuse Tehran of terrorism, mobilize its armed forces, and prepare potential retaliatory measures (Times of Israel)
Azerbaijan Threatens Retaliation After Iranian Drone Strike in Nakhchivan
Azerbaijan reported that four Iranian drones crossed into its Nakhchivan exclave, injuring four people and raising concerns about the conflict spilling further into the region; President Ilham Aliyev warned that Azerbaijan would take retaliatory measures and said the armed forces were preparing a response (Reuters)
Ruben Vardanyan Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison
Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh, was sentenced by an Azerbaijani court to twenty years in prison; Vardanyan was convicted on forty-two counts, including crimes against humanity, terrorism, and war crimes (Reuters)
Russia Intends to Boost Ties With Armenia and Azerbaijan
Following U.S. President JD Vance’s visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Kremlin announced that Moscow plans to further develop its relations with Baku and Yerevan; Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also stated that Moscow was well equipped to tender for a new nuclear power plant in Armenia (Reuters)
U.S.-Azerbaijan Partnership
The two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement during U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Baku; Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the pact would increase cooperation on defense sales and artificial intelligence (AI), while Vance said the United States would send Azerbaijan ships for maritime protection (AP)
The leaders also discussed Trump’s proposed infrastructure project in the region (FP)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance Visits Armenia
Vance announced new civilian nuclear cooperation with Armenia during a visit to Yerevan; the new agreement will allow the United States to license nuclear technology and equipment to Armenia (Reuters)
According to Vance, it will permit up to $5 billion in initial U.S. exports to Armenia and $4 billion in longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts (DW)
Armenia has relied on Iran and Russia for energy supplies in the past, but is currently in talks with multiple countries—including the United States—about building a new nuclear reactor (Al Jazeera)
Vance is the first U.S. vice president to ever visit Armenia and will next travel to Azerbaijan, rounding out a trip meant to highlight U.S. peace mediation (RFE/RFL)
Last year, the United States brokered a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan that included pledges of new U.S. investments, though it has yet to be ratified by either country’s national legislature or signed by their leaders (AP)
In both Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vance is touting plans for a U.S.-backed, twenty-seven-mile corridor that would connect Azerbaijan to its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, bordered by Armenia, Turkey, and Iran; the corridor would also link them to overseas export markets and include rail as well as oil and gas infrastructure (AFP)
Last month, the United States and Armenia announced a framework for the project that envisions the United States holding a 74 percent stake for fifty years, before dropping to a 51 percent stake (State)
Azerbaijan Disapproves of Russian Comments on Karabakh Trial
Konstantin Zatulin, a member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, stated that recent proceedings that sentenced five defendants to life imprisonment and eight others to a range of ten to fifteen year sentences, were a settling of scores rather than a trial; Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador and told him that Zatulin’s rhetoric was unacceptable and undermined the peace process (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Joins Trump’s Board of Peace
Azerbaijan said it accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his Board of Peace (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Releases Armenian Prisoners
Azerbaijan released four Armenian prisoners convicted after the 2020 and 2023 wars, reflecting cautious normalization (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Seeks Life Sentence for Ruben Vardanyan
Prosecutors in Azerbaijan asked a Baku court to impose a life sentence on Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in the breakaway administration of Nagorno-Karabakh, on charges including terrorism (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Seeks Life Sentences for Former Karabakh Leaders
Prosecutors in Azerbaijan said they are seeking sentences of up to life in prison for fifteen former officials from Nagorno-Karabakh, charging ex-separatist leaders with war crimes, terrorism, and the forcible seizure of power following Baku’s 2023 recapture of the region (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Lifts Cargo Transit Restrictions to Armenia
President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan has removed all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia, allowing shipments to resume for the first time since the late Soviet period; the move represents a practical step toward implementing a recently brokered peace agreement (Reuters)
Azerbaijan Hails U.S. Role in Armenia Peace Push
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told the UN General Assembly that Baku remains committed to lasting peace with Armenia and praised Washington’s role in advancing talks, while calling the OSCE Minsk Group “no longer relevant” (Anadolu Agency)
Peace Envoys Meet in Yerevan
Turkey’s special envoy for relations with Armenia, Serdar Kılıç, met with his Armenian counterpart, Ruben Rubinyan, in Yerevan, marking the first time normalization talks have taken place inside Armenia; the two officials agreed to accelerate plans to open border crossings, boost cultural and academic exchanges, and expand direct flights by 2026 (OC Media).
Armenian Foreign Minister Says Peace With Azerbaijan Still Fragile
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told parliament that even with the recent Washington peace agreement with Azerbaijan, “peace is a long process” and not yet fully secure, as major issues, including lasting reconciliation and the release of Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan, remain unresolved (RFE/RFL)
Armenia, Azerbaijan Border Commissions Meet
Delegations led by the deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in the border area between Armenia’s Syunik Province and Azerbaijan’s Zangilan Region, according to the Armenian government; the talks involved defense, security, and foreign affairs officials as part of exchanges between border delimitation and security commissions (RFE/RFL)
Armenian and Azerbaijani Leaders Discuss Peace Process
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China, where they discussed their bilateral peace agenda and agreed to maintain direct contacts (Presidency of Azerbaijan)