JAMnews. Top stories in local media.
Monday, July 21, Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev on the lawsuit against Russia, his meeting with Pashinyan, the Zangezur corridor, and other topics
● The 3rd Global Media Forum is taking place in Karabakh. Its theme is “Digital Transitions: Strengthening Information and Media Resilience in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Around 140 foreign guests from 52 countries are attending, including representatives of over 30 news agencies.
● Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke at the opening in Khankendi. The session was moderated by Euronews Middle East bureau chief Jane Witherspoon. Aliyev’s discussion with journalists lasted nearly three hours. Key points:
- Investment in transport and logistics: Billions of dollars have been invested; Azerbaijan built the largest international trade port on the Caspian Sea and a railway connecting it to Turkey via Georgia. There is also ongoing digitization and simplified customs processes—partly due to shifting regional geopolitics.
- Zangezur Corridor: This proposed land route would connect Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan, via Armenian territory. Armenia insists on controlling its section; Azerbaijan wants an extraterritorial corridor managed by a third party. Aliyev said Azerbaijan will complete its railway segment by spring 2026 and expects 15 million tons of cargo at the initial stage.
- On the alleged plan to lease the Zangezur Corridor to an American company: “There will be no operator, no lease, no rental on our territory. We are doing everything ourselves. What Armenia wants to do – I don’t know. They invited so-called European observers, who are actually a group of well-trained spies. They spied on us and, by the way, recently also spied on Iran. What matters to us is having uninterrupted and secure access from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan. Our cargo and our citizens must not encounter Armenian border guards or anyone else. I remember during Soviet times, on this very stretch of Zangezur, Armenians would throw stones at the windows of trains carrying commercial goods from Baku to Nakhchivan — and that was under strict discipline and punitive mechanisms of the time. We cannot risk the lives and health of our people. So there must be no physical contact. This is a completely legitimate demand.”
- Criticism of Armenia: “On the Armenian side of the Zangezur corridor, no work has been done over the past five years. If they continue to block this process, I believe they will end up not only in the transport isolation they are already experiencing today, but also to some extent in political isolation.”
- China-Azerbaijan freight growth: A railway is being built from China through Central Asia to the Caspian, with Baku port as a key hub feeding into the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and further on to the Mediterranean.
- Green energy: Azerbaijan is involved in two major submarine cable projects to export green electricity—one via the Caspian Sea (with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan), and one under the Black Sea (with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary).
- Gas to Europe: “Europe now needs more gas from Azerbaijan, and we are increasing supplies. In 2021, it was 8 billion cubic meters; now it’s 13 billion. That’s half of our total gas exports. But to provide additional volumes, European institutions need to take a pragmatic approach. European banks no longer finance fossil fuel-related projects. They must change their policy so we can attract funds to expand our capacity. Let’s work as a team.”
- New U.S. ties: “The previous US administration practically destroyed US-Azerbaijan relations — all because we restored our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We see great potential for a strong partnership with the United States. We’ve received very positive signals from Washington. Signals from Azerbaijan have also been very positive. Donald Trump is actively involved in the process in the South Caucasus and is doing tremendous work to help Azerbaijan and Armenia find a solution to the long-standing conflict. I believe we’ll have more good news in the future.”
- Meeting with Armenian PM in Abu Dhabi: “During a long discussion, one of the topics we addressed was the very low level of trust between the sides. Prime Minister Pashinyan said (after the meeting) that they should have recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan earlier. They should have. I told them that — in 2018 and in 2019. I said it, I warned them it would get worse. Our position has never changed. Just as I said in 2003 that Karabakh is our land, I have repeated the same over these 22 years. But the Armenian position kept changing. And what guarantee is there that it won’t change again? Such a guarantee must come in the form of international legal documents that will, as I said in Abu Dhabi, slam shut the coffin lid on separatism. For that, the OSCE Minsk Group must be dissolved, as it was created for the Karabakh conflict, which is now over. And Armenia’s constitution must be amended to remove the declaration of independence that includes territorial claims against Azerbaijan. That’s basically all. The text of the peace agreement has been agreed.”
- Peace treaty with Armenia: Negotiations stalled for over two years due to Armenian attempts to include the Karabakh issue. Talks resumed in 2024, and a draft treaty was agreed upon. Aliyev said Armenia only accepted the terms after Trump’s victory. “I told Mr. Pashinyan: “You were probably hoping that Madam Harris would win, and you’d be back on your ‘white horse’ — but that didn’t happen.” Personally, I am absolutely convinced that if Trump hadn’t won, they wouldn’t have agreed, because they wanted to take more than they deserved and more than they could handle.”
- About the crash of the Azerbaijani passenger plane in December, when it came under fire from Russian air defense systems. “We haven’t received any response from Russian officials, even though seven months have passed. We know what happened and can prove it – and we also know that Russian officials know what happened. The question is: why don’t they do what any neighbor would do? Our demands are entirely natural: to admit responsibility for the crash, to punish those who shot down our plane, and to pay compensation to the families of the victims, the injured, and to AZAL for the loss of the aircraft. We will not forget this. We have informed Russia that we are preparing a portfolio of documents to submit to the international legal system. We know this may take time. In the case of the Malaysian Boeing, it took more than 10 years, so we will wait 10 years. But justice must prevail. Unfortunately, this uncertain situation does not help bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.”
- Advice to Ukraine: “Never agree to occupation,” Aliyev stated, urging Ukraine to follow Azerbaijan’s example of creating new realities rather than accepting imposed ones.
- ● Ukrainian journalist Olena Gurbanova presented President Aliyev with patches from Ukrainian armed forces. Azerbaijani MP Oleksiy Honcharenko shared the video. Aliyev thanked her and said, “Keep it up.” (Watch the video below)
- ● Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev accused major foreign media of disinformation against Azerbaijan, using deepfake technology and spreading false narratives about Karabakh and religion, often supported by Armenian diaspora groups.
- ● Azerbaijan declined to attend the CIS Economic Council meeting in Moscow. Hajiyev cited scheduling issues, denying any link to current Azerbaijan–Russia relations.
Monday, July 21, Armenia. The arrested Russian billionaire’s company is being nationalized – a state manager appointed
● “There are no signs that Armenia is planning to leave the CIS, just as Azerbaijan isn’t either. I completely rule out that scenario,” said CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev in an interview with TASS. The issue of Armenia leaving the CIS arose after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned a possible exit from another Russian-led integration structure—the CSTO military bloc. Azerbaijan’s possible departure came under discussion because its delegation did not attend the latest meeting of the CIS Economic Council. However, Lebedev stated that the absence of Azerbaijan’s representatives “is a temporary episode, and the situation will soon return to normal.”
Read also
● Last week saw an increase in contact between Armenian and Iranian officials. They discussed the unblocking of regional communications. Reportedly, the activity is linked to a U.S. proposal recently presented to Yerevan and Baku. Washington suggests outsourcing the road that will connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave to an American private company. This, reportedly, is causing concern in Iran.
● Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call. They reportedly discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues. Pashinyan invited the Iranian president to Armenia for an official visit.
● The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure filed a complaint with the Public Services Regulatory Commission regarding “public dissatisfaction” with the company managing Armenia’s power grid. The company is owned by Russian-Armenian dollar billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who has been under arrest since June 18 on charges of public calls to seize power. The commission found grounds to review the case and appointed a new interim manager—Romanos Petrosyan, a member of the ruling party and former head of the State Oversight Service. Previously, the parliament adopted legislative amendments allowing for the potential nationalization of this strategic enterprise. Read more here
● The Public Services Regulatory Commission decided that the new manager of Electric Networks of Armenia will receive the same salary as the current CEO. The amount was not disclosed, but the company finds it inappropriate that it has to pay for the manager’s salary if the company may soon be transferred to state ownership. The company’s leadership has declared the situation entirely political. “If this isn’t political, then why was one of the ruling party’s most prominent figures—who has no professional experience or a single day working at the company—appointed as manager?” said acting CEO David Ghazinyan. He also stated that the current leadership does not intend to resign and “will continue to ensure normal operations, protect consumers’ interests, and uphold the rights of the owner.”
● A court ordered the two-month detention of former MP and member of the “Dashnaktsutyun” party Ruben Akopyan. He is accused of publicly calling for the overthrow of the government. Specifically, Akopyan said: “We must drive the authorities out at any cost. ‘At any cost’ means an uprising, creating suicide squads, and driving them out.” The statement was made live from the National Assembly tribune during hearings organized by the parliamentary opposition.
● Law enforcement in Armenia prevented Russian military personnel from kidnapping 25-year-old contract soldier Semyon Subbotin, who refused to fight in the war against Ukraine and relocated to Armenia in 2024 with the help of the “Go to the Woods” project.
Russia placed him on a wanted list for desertion. Subbotin learned that individuals had come to Armenia to capture him and contacted the police in Yerevan. He was detained for 72 hours, during which Armenian authorities notified Moscow to submit the necessary extradition documents. Since Russia failed to do so in time, he was released. Russian military personnel arrived at the detention facility to retrieve him, but Armenian police refused to hand him over. Local media report that Subbotin is safe and that no official extradition request has been received. According to human rights advocates, if Russia does not file a request within 40 days, the search will be annulled.
● Armenia’s armed forces held a nationwide qualification competition called “Dyutsazn” (translated as “hero” or “strongman”). Servicemen from various units participated. Those who passed all the challenges earned the right to wear black berets. The aim of the contest is to identify the most prepared soldiers.
● Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan posted three Facebook updates related to an incident that occurred during a Coldplay concert.
The livestream captured the CEO of American tech company Astronomer with a female employee, leading to global media speculation about an extramarital affair. In all three posts, Pashinyan connected this story to the Catholicos of All Armenians, accusing him of breaking his vow of celibacy. Pashinyan claims Catholicos Karekin II has a child and demands he step down. “The CEO of Astronomer resigned because the company considers marital values fundamental. According to the Armenian Apostolic Church, a celibate monk is married to the Church and must not have other personal relationships. Ktrich Nersisyan [secular name of the Catholicos], who broke his vow, still refuses to vacate the Catholicosate, thus desecrating our holiest of holy sites – the Mother See. Therefore, Ktrich Nersisyan is calling on us, faithful followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, to liberate the Catholicosate from him. We will do this together. Be ready,” wrote Pashinyan.
● The international “Golden Apricot” film festival concluded in Yerevan (pictured below). The Grand Prize, known as the “Golden Apricot,” went to Igor Bezinović’s feature film Fiume or Death. The “Silver Apricot” was awarded to Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili. A special prize went to Songs of a Slowly Burning Heart by Olga Zhurba.
Friday, July 18, Georgia. The National Bank of Georgia is discussing potential cooperation with China’s interbank payment system, CIPS
● Former US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly and former Deputy Secretary of State David Kramer published a joint article on Georgia, stating: “Georgia was once the main US partner in the region, and its people remain pro-American, but the government is clearly leaning toward Moscow and increasingly resembles the Russian regime in its repression of the Georgian opposition and civil society.” With current ambassador Robin Dunnigan soon leaving her post, the authors expect the Trump administration to swiftly appoint a new ambassador who will “firmly criticize the Georgian government’s authoritarian and pro-Russian behavior.”
● Opposition groups “Coalition for Change” and “National Movement – Unity” appealed to the Central Election Commission to retain their electoral number. “This is necessary for the effective functioning of the party, not for participating in elections under the current authoritarian regime,” said the Coalition for Change. Both groups have announced a boycott of the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for October.
● French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad: “The OSCE and the European Parliament deemed Georgia’s October 2024 parliamentary elections unfair and, unfortunately, falsified. It is clear that a candidate country for EU membership must uphold the rule of law, freedom of speech, and minority rights. That is why at the European Foreign Affairs Council meeting, we made it absolutely clear that we will not tolerate this backsliding and are ready to take measures both at the European and national level to impose sanctions on those responsible. Unfortunately, this will slow down and freeze Georgia’s EU integration process. Visa liberalization may be revoked, sanctions against those responsible for the democratic rollback are being discussed, as well as the relevance of Georgia’s candidate status. These decisions could be taken either by the EU or by each of the 27 member states individually.”
● “If the choice is between peace and stability or visa liberalization, of course, we’ll prioritize peace and stability,” said Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, commenting on the EU’s possible cancellation of Georgia’s visa-free regime. More on his statements here.
● Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili accused the German ambassador to Georgia of “becoming a mouthpiece for opposition propaganda.” “This is no longer criticism; it’s a demonstration of political positioning,” he said.
● Papuashvili also accused the EU ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, of refusing to provide information on EU- and member-state-funded projects in Georgia. The speaker expressed particular concern about the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), claiming that “the EU is trying to influence Georgia’s sovereign decisions and internal political processes.”
● The National Bank of Georgia is discussing potential cooperation with China’s interbank payment system CIPS. This was reported in a press release following a meeting in Tbilisi between bank governor Natia Turnava and CIPS president Fu Huang. Interest in alternative systems is linked to the latest European Parliament resolution calling for Georgia’s disconnection from the SWIFT global payment network.
● The Georgian Trade Unions Confederation issued a statement regarding the protests by manganese mine workers in Chiatura. The organization said that the reorganization was the only forced decision to preserve jobs in the difficult situation, and that the unions managed to secure certain social guarantees for both employees and those who were unable to find work.
● The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the arrest of 20 individuals suspected of links to criminal groups. They are accused of mediating financial disputes for personal gain and organizing “criminal underworld meetings” in Georgia and Turkey. They face up to 15 years in prison.
