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How Armenia is trying to build a Silicon Valley in the South Caucasus
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How Armenia is trying to build a Silicon Valley in the South Caucasus

1 May 2025
In Armenia tech education starts early. In a typical three-storey state school in the suburbs of Yerevan, the Armenian capital, nine-year old Slavik is demonstrating his invention, a box with three LED lights.  Next to him, 14-year-old Eric and Narek are showing their smart greenhouse model that monitors temperature and controls fans automatically through a mobile app. Other children are enthusiastically showcasing their inventions: games, robots, apps and smart home projects. Eleven-year-old Arakel is holding his cardboard model of a house with a retractable clothesline.
commonspace.eu
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News
US threatens to give up mediation efforts unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals”
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US threatens to give up mediation efforts unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals”

30 April 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward "concrete proposals," as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump. The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues.
commonspace.eu
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Opinion
Opinion: Trilateral meeting in Tbilisi - what does it mean for the South Caucasus?
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Opinion: Trilateral meeting in Tbilisi - what does it mean for the South Caucasus?

29 April 2025
On April 17, 2025, Tbilisi played host to a historic moment, as the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia convened for the first-ever formal trilateral consultations. The central aim of the parties was to establish a transparent channel for dialogue and explore concrete steps for regional cooperation. The discussions were notably constructive, the parties identified several areas for potential collaboration, and importantly, the meeting set the stage for further talks, with a promise to follow up on the progress made and to develop a more comprehensive roadmap for trilateral cooperation. It was a signal that the political realities of the region are shifting. Now it is important to understand why such cooperation was not possible until now and why it has become possible only today.
Gulkhanim Mammadova
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News
Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins Election in Canada: World Leaders React
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Mark Carney’s Liberal Party wins Election in Canada: World Leaders React

29 April 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney won Canada's election held on Monday, leading his Liberal Party to a new term in power after convincing voters his experience managing crises had prepared him to confront US President Donald Trump. The public broadcaster CBC and other outlets projected the Liberals would form Canada's next government, but it was not yet clear if they would hold a majority in parliament. 
commonspace.eu
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News
Putin announces surprise ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day commemorations
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Putin announces surprise ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day commemorations

29 April 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow's World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin said on Monday. Moscow said it expected Kyiv to issue a similar order, and that it stood ready to respond to any violations of the possible halt in fighting.  Putin made a similar order to stop combat over Easter, a truce that both sides accused the other of violating hundreds of times, but did lead to a temporary reduction in fighting.
commonspace.eu
Editor's choice
Opinion
Opinion: Armenia–Turkey Normalisation Process: What Next?
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Opinion: Armenia–Turkey Normalisation Process: What Next?

28 April 2025
Since Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, normalizing relations with Turkey has been one of the country’s top foreign-policy priorities. The rationale behind this has been both economic, to end the blockade and facilitate access to Turkish Mediterranean ports, and political, to drive a wedge in the Azerbaijan–Turkey strategic partnership. Armenia took steps towards normalization in 2008 and 2009. As a result of intensive negotiations, Armenia and Turkey signed two protocols in Zurich in 2009 to open their borders and establish diplomatic relations. However, Turkey did not ratify them, under intense pressure from Azerbaijan.
Benyamin Poghosyan
Editor's choice
Monday Commentary
Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?
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Is the Sahel Europe’s soft underbelly?

28 April 2025
The Sahel region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and consists, according to the UN, of ten countries which sit, wholly or partly, within it: Senegal,  Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria Other neighbouring countries however, such as Benin, Togo Sudan and Central African Republic, due to their proximity, and to the fact that they increasingly share the same problems, are often included when the Sahel is discussed.
Dennis Sammut
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News
World spotlight on the conclave after Pope Francis is laid to rest
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World spotlight on the conclave after Pope Francis is laid to rest

27 April 2025
With Pope Francis laid to rest, all eyes turn now to the conclave, the secretive meeting of cardinals set to convene within days to elect a new head of the Catholic Church. Mourners were permitted to visit his tomb for the first time Sunday, a day after an estimated 400,000 people, including world leaders, turned out for the Argentine's funeral at the Vatican and burial in Rome.  The crowds were a testament to the popularity of Francis, an energetic reformer who championed the poorest and most vulnerable.
commonspace.eu