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Season's Greetings

24 December 2022
The editorial team, associates and contributors at commonspace.eu extend their best wishes for the festive season to all our readers and subscribers around the world. Happy holidays!
commonspace.eu editorial team
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President Zelensky addresses US Congress
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President Zelensky addresses US Congress

22 December 2022
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on his first foreign visit since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, has addressed the US Congress in person. This followed being welcomed to the White House by US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and a wider American-Ukrainian discussion on the ongoing war during which US Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III were also present. During his address to the US Congress, President Zelensky delivered a defiant speech in which he said that "against all odds and doom and gloom scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and kicking", adding that his country would never surrender. Referring to other conflicts in Russia's so-called "near abroad", Zelensky said that "this battle cannot be frozen or postponed. It cannot be ignored hoping that the ocean or something else will provide a protection." Zelensky's visit comes amid concerns from Republicans over the cost of American military aid to Ukraine. His address can be seen in large part as an attempt to assuage those worries and make the case for long-term American support for Ukraine's military. He notably said that "Your money is not charity, it's an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way."
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EU continues to develop its tools in support of its objective to contribute to peace in the South Caucasus.
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EU continues to develop its tools in support of its objective to contribute to peace in the South Caucasus.

20 December 2022
The European Union continues to develop its tools in support of its objective to contribute to peace and security in the South Caucasus.  On Monday (19 December), the EU Monitoring Capacity in Armenia (EUMCAP), launched in October, completed its mandate. Based on the agreement between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Council and France, the EUMCAP was deployed on 20 October along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation on the ground. EU leaders, meeting in Brussels last week, assessed the wotk of the mission and the way forward. A statement by the European External Action Service on Monday stated that, "the Council – in agreement with Armenia’s authorities - decided that the existing EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) will deploy a transitional planning assistance team in Armenia to enhance the EU’s awareness of the security situation, and contribute to the planning and preparation of a possible civilian CSDP mission in the country. The transitional planning assistance team is also expected to support the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in the EU-facilitated normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan."
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News
Taliban publicly flog 30 persons in two Afghan provinces
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Taliban publicly flog 30 persons in two Afghan provinces

19 December 2022
On Monday (19 December), 30 people were publicly flogged in two different provinces in Afghanistan as Taliban's head Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered all Afghan judges to strictly comply with Islamic sharia law. In the province of Jowzjan, 22 people were flogged publicly for drug dealing and theft, according to a report from the Russian news agency Sputnik. The public flogging took place following an order from the chief judge of the Jowzjan province, Abdul Wahab Zahid. Meanwhile, in the province of Kapisa, eight people were flogged for theft and drinking. On 14th December, 20 people were lashed in the Helmand province.  Hibatullah Akhundzada is a senior Taliban leader who was appointed as the group's leader after the death of Mullah Omar in 2015. He is a cleric and a former member of the Taliban's governing council, and is believed to be in his 60s. Akhundzada has been involved with the Taliban for many years and is known for his hardline stance. On 24th November, Taliban conducted its first public flogging in a football stadium since the 90s. “Fourteen people, including three women were lashed in the presence of scholars, authorities and people… for different sins including adultery, robbery and other forms of corruption in a football stadium in Logar [province],” read a statement from Taliban's Supreme Court.
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Opinion
Opinion: 2022 started promising from the perspective of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan but prospects for 2023 are bleak
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Opinion: 2022 started promising from the perspective of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan but prospects for 2023 are bleak

19 December 2022
Russia's attempts to show Armenia and Azerbaijan its red lines during the summit in Sochi on 31 October disrupted a positive moment in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations that had been ongoing throughout 2022. A deterioration in Azerbaijan-Iran relations has further hightened tensions in the region. "One can foresee that new escalations and hostilities will be imminent, if the peace efforts fail to deliver tangible outcomes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and if some external actors continue to fuel the tensions in the region", writes Vasif Huseynov in this op-ed for commonspace.eu.
Vasif Huseynov