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Russia and US agree without Ukraine to press ahead on path to peace
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Russia and US agree without Ukraine to press ahead on path to peace

18 February 2025
The United States and Russia agreed in Riyadh on Tuesday to press ahead with efforts to end the war in Ukraine, a US official said, as Kyiv and its European allies watched anxiously from the sidelines and Moscow raised a major new demand. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the two sides agreed to appoint "respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides".
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Opinion: Research and Public-Private Partnerships Necessary For Any Future Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Markets
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Opinion: Research and Public-Private Partnerships Necessary For Any Future Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Markets

17 February 2025
Armenian passport control at the Bagratashen border checkpoint was confused and chaotic, quite unlike the experience on the other side at Sadakhlo in Georgia. Instead of the few minutes it should have taken, it took over twenty. It never had in the past. Perhaps preparations for a visit by the European Union delegation taking place just a few days later to develop a much anticipated Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) had preoccupied them.
Onnik James Krikorian
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News
Presidential election in Abkhazia goes to second round
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Presidential election in Abkhazia goes to second round

17 February 2025
A presidential election held this weekend in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia produced no clear winner, setting up a second round between the top two candidates. According to Abkhazia's electoral commission acting President Badra Gunba took 46per cent of the vote, while opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba received almost 37 per cent. The Election Commission confirmed  that Gunba, Moscow’s favourite candidate, failed to cross the threshold of 50 percent. The decisive second round featuring Gunba and Ardzinba is expected to be held by March 1. The EU reiterated its support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty in a statement saying it does not recognise the constitutional and legal framework in which the "so-called presidential elections in Abkhazia" took place.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for European army
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls for European army

15 February 2025
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the creation of an "army of Europe" to guard against Russia as he suggested the US may no longer come to the continent's aid. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, he also said that Ukraine would "never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement" after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start peace talks.
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Abkhazia holds early presidential elections that may prove decisive
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Abkhazia holds early presidential elections that may prove decisive

15 February 2025
Abkhazia, a territory that broke away from Georgia in 1993, is holding early presidential elections today following the ousting of the previous president, Aslan Bzhania, at the end of November 2024. The outcome of the elections could determine the future trajectory of the region’s foreign policy and its relationship to Moscow. Bzhamia was forced to resign after thousands of supporters of opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba forcibly occupied the presidential palace and parliament building. Ardzinba is contesting these elections with his main rival being former Vice President Badra Gunba who is supported by Moscow. According to pre-election polls, Gunba is projected to receive 42.3 percent of the vote, while Ardzinba is projected to receive just 27.3 percent of the vote. The other three candidates are Shamil Ardzinba, Oleg Bartsits, and Adgur Khurkhumal.
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European Parliament adopts resolution on Georgia, calls for sanctions and new elections
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European Parliament adopts resolution on Georgia, calls for sanctions and new elections

13 February 2025
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Thursday regarding the political crisis in Georgia with 400 votes in favour, 63 against and 81 abstentions. The resolution called for sanctions against former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, his associates, government officials and media figures linked to the ruling Georgian Dream party, while urging the EU to withhold recognition of the current government and call for new elections.
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Azerbaijan sues Armenia for environmental damage in Court of Arbitration in The Hague
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Azerbaijan sues Armenia for environmental damage in Court of Arbitration in The Hague

13 February 2025
Azerbaijan has filed a lawsuit against Armenia in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague over what it says is evidence of extensive environmental destruction in areas of Azerbaijan once controlled by Yerevan. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that Armenia had engaged in "widespread deforestation, environmentally unsustainable logging, mining, and construction of hydropower plants" in regions Baku retook from Armenia following a series of wars stretching back to the late 1980s. The affected areas include the Basut-Chay State Reserve, a protected forested zone near Azerbaijan's southern border, home to the rare Oriental plane tree.
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US tells its NATO allies that European security is no longer top priority
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US tells its NATO allies that European security is no longer top priority

12 February 2025
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told Washington's NATO allies that they would have to step up and assume greater responsibility for Europe's security since the U.S. no longer remains "primarily focused on the security of Europe". He said "stark strategic realities", such as U.S. border security issues and threats posed by China are a greater priority. Hegseth also said that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia's invasion.
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Large majority of Georgians support EU membership, survey says
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Large majority of Georgians support EU membership, survey says

12 February 2025
A public opinion survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research and Analysis (ISSA) indicates widespread support for Georgia’s accession to the EU amongst Georgians with 86 per cent giving a positive answer. The same survey suggests that 74 per cent of the population support NATO. However, in what appears to be a contradictory finding, the survey concludes that a majority of 53 per cent back Georgia’s neutrality and think the country should keep out of all political and military alliances. “The survey on the public’s attitude towards ongoing processes in Georgia”  conducted with financial support from the Civil Society Fund and the UN Association of Georgia interviewed 2,000 adult respondents in Tbilisi and other cities, as well as in rural areas, using face-to-face interviews. The survey was conducted from January 18 to 30, 2025.
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