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EU suspends visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials
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EU suspends visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials

27 January 2025
The Council of the European Union has decided to suspend parts of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement leading to Georgian diplomats and officials having to apply for visa when travelling to the EU. "For travels to a member state which has reintroduced visa requirements, Georgian diplomats and officials will also no longer benefit from shorter application times, lower visa fees, and the possibility to submit fewer supporting documents," a Council statement announced on Monday.
commonspace.eu
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Opinion
Opinion: In Armenia, Strategic Diversification Clashes With Geographic Realities
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Opinion: In Armenia, Strategic Diversification Clashes With Geographic Realities

27 January 2025
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signalled plans to seek European Union (EU) membership. Though framed as an attempt to diversify away from decades of dependency on Russia, Moscow instead sees it as a western attempt to simply oust it from the region. Such a move is supported by some in Armenia amid disillusionment with Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) following the 2020 war with Azerbaijan and a 2022 incursion into Armenia itself.
Onnik James Krikorian
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Quad countries meet in Washington in first event hosted by new Secretary of State, Marko Rubio
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Quad countries meet in Washington in first event hosted by new Secretary of State, Marko Rubio

25 January 2025
In his first engagement with the international community after being sworn in as Secretary of State, Marko Rubio hosted the foreign ministers of India, Japan and Australia, for a meeting of the quad, the mechanism that unites the four countries and that is becoming increasingly important. At the end of the meeting the four foreign ministers issued a short statement:
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Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by missile from Pantsir-S1 system brought from Syria to Russia
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Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by missile from Pantsir-S1 system brought from Syria to Russia

24 January 2025
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by a missile on 25 December fired from a Pantsir-S1 air defence system which was brought from Syria to Russia, according to reliable sources familiar with the investigation quoted exclusively by Azerbaijan-based international news channel AnewZ and reported for the first time in Europe by Euronews. Electronic warfare systems were deployed against the Azerbaijani aircraft on 25 December as it was on its approach to land in Grozny, leading to severe malfunctions in its control systems before its crash near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan, AnewZ reported based on its sources.
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Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by missile from Pantsir-S1 system brought from Syria to Russia
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Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by missile from Pantsir-S1 system brought from Syria to Russia

24 January 2025
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was downed by a missile on 25 December fired from a Pantsir-S1 air defence system which was brought from Syria to Russia, according to reliable sources familiar with the investigation quoted exclusively by Azerbaijan-based international news channel AnewZ and reported for the first time in Europe by Euronews. Electronic warfare systems were deployed against the Azerbaijani aircraft on 25 December as it was on its approach to land in Grozny, leading to severe malfunctions in its control systems before its crash near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan, AnewZ reported based on its sources.
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Pashinyan in Davos: Armenia’s foreign policy a balancing act between the West and Russia
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Pashinyan in Davos: Armenia’s foreign policy a balancing act between the West and Russia

23 January 2025
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia has decided to adopt a foreign policy that is balanced between relations with the European Union and Russia. He added that balanced relations are also being created at the regional level notably with Iran, by establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey and concluding a peace deal with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan said this approach is not easy but also not impossible adding that Armenia is being transparent with all its international partners about its intentions. “Yes, we have decided to get closer to the European Union, but we are very intensively trying to share our position with Iran and Russia and with all our partners”, Pashinyan stated.
commonspace.eu
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Analysis
Analysis: How Trump’s US presidency may impact the South Caucasus
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Analysis: How Trump’s US presidency may impact the South Caucasus

22 January 2025
A second Trump presidency is unlikely to bring a sharp focus to the South Caucasus and American policy for the region will hinge on existing bipartisan frameworks and congressional initiatives rather than direct presidential involvement, according to an analysis by Vita van Dreven of The Hague Institute for Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. She explores how the Trump presidency might impact the South Caucasus, analysing potential policy directions and their implications for the region:
Vita van Dreven
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News
President Aliyev rejects criticism over arrests of journalists after seven news staff go on trial
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President Aliyev rejects criticism over arrests of journalists after seven news staff go on trial

22 January 2025
President Ilham Aliyev has rejected criticism over the arrests of journalists and said Azerbaijan has "a free press and a free internet." Seven people went on trial in Azerbaijan on Tuesday in the latest of a series of cases against staff of independent news media, prompting accusations of a crackdown on the press. Six of the defendants are affiliated with Abzas Media, an independent outlet focused on corruption and human rights in Azerbaijan, which ranks 164th of 180 countries in Reporters without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. The seventh is a reporter with the Azeri language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a US government funded outlet.
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Donald Trump takes oath of office as US President, says he will save America from decline.
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Donald Trump takes oath of office as US President, says he will save America from decline.

20 January 2025
Donald Trump aged 78 was sworn in as the 47th president of the US and pledged in his inauguration address to rescue America from what he described as years of betrayal and decline, prioritizing a crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump declared his intention to sign a number of executive actions in his first hours as president, including a number focused on border security and immigration, his top priority. Trump announced a "national emergency" at the US-Mexico border, declared drug cartels as terrorists, and will scrap government diversity programmes. His vice president, JD Vance, was sworn in just before him.