JAMnews. Top stories in local media.
Monday, September 22, Armenia. Armenia marked the 34th year of independence, with debate underway over Pashinyan’s statement on building a Fourth Republic
● Armenia marked the 34th anniversary of the Republic’s independence. In 1991, a referendum on independence was held, and more than 94 percent of voters said “yes” to the question of whether they wanted Armenia to be an independent state outside the Soviet Union.
Video: Fireworks celebrating Armenia’s independence at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
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● “The process of gaining independence is like moving from a train car into a car. As with any car, we must take care of the condition of our state. The documents of our state, like a car’s papers, must be up to date and in order. We must know the traffic rules so that we can properly and wisely drive our state—our car—toward the goal we dream of, and that goal is freedom, prosperity, security, peace, and happiness,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on the occasion.
● Armenia received congratulatory messages from leaders of many countries. In his message, Donald Trump said that “we look forward to realizing the full potential of your wonderful vision of Armenia as a ‘Crossroads of Peace’ and of Trump’s program, ‘The Road to International Peace and Prosperity’ (TRIPP), which will symbolize our mutual commitments and bring real economic benefits.”
● The ruling Civil Contract party adopted a nine-point declaration at its weekend congress. Among other things, it declared the strategic goal of creating Armenia’s “Fourth Republic,” winning a constitutional majority in next year’s elections, and adopting a new Constitution. More on the declaration and the “Fourth Republic” here.
● Political circles are actively discussing the announcement of the intention to create Armenia’s “Fourth Republic.” Former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated: “Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is the last person in this world capable of leading such a transformation. Talk of the ‘Fourth Republic’ is nothing more than a cynical attempt to present failure as rebirth.”
● Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and one of the founders of the Civil Contract party, Hakob Arshakyan, was not allowed to take part in the party’s 7th congress. Party board deputy chairman Gevorg Papoyan said the reason was arrears in membership fees. Local media reported the amount as 30,000 drams (around $79).
● A delegation from Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) arrived in Baku for the first time to participate in an international security forum. It is only known so far that the delegation was led by NSS chief Andranik Simonyan. The conference was held on September 20–21, and the Armenian delegation arrived in Baku on the evening of September 20. More details here.
● A fire broke out in the laboratory of Yerevan State Medical University; one person was hospitalized.
● An international exhibition, “Sacred Dialogue: From the Louvre to the History Museum of Armenia,” opened in Yerevan. Sixteen masterpieces from the Louvre’s collection are displayed in dialogue with a specially curated selection from the History Museum of Armenia. The exhibition features artifacts from the 14th to the 20th centuries, including glass and wooden artworks, stone sculptures (khachkars), architectural fragments, jewelry, church vestments, tableware, and icons.
Monday, September 22, Azerbaijan. An international security conference in Baku was held with the participation of Armenia’s National Security Service chief
● “International cooperation among security agencies plays a crucial role in preventing and addressing international security challenges and in building a safer future,” said President Ilham Aliyev, addressing participants of the international conference in Baku, “Cooperation of Security Agencies in Preventing Humanitarian Crises and Global Technogenic Disasters During Terrorist Attacks and Armed Conflicts.” The president called the joint declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia, signed by the leaders of the two countries with the participation of Donald Trump in Washington on August 8, “an important historic step toward ending the long-standing conflict.” Aliyev added: “Ensuring lasting peace in the South Caucasus will create new opportunities for cooperation for Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.”
For the first time, a delegation of Armenia’s National Security Service attended the conference in Baku. “High-level contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan almost always took place within negotiation processes and were almost always confidential. From the outset, society understood that these contacts were about the conflict. Neither we nor the Azerbaijanis were used to contacts in other formats. After the Washington agreements, this should change both politically and in our mindset,” experts in Yerevan wrote. More here.
● Over the weekend, Rwandan President Paul Kagame visited Baku.
● The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku has concluded. The winner was Dutch driver Max Verstappen (pictured below), who took victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the second time, the previous was in 2022. In Formula 2, Jack Crawford of the Dams Lukas Oil team won first place.
● Azerbaijan’s Greco-Roman wrestling team took second place at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. First place went to Iran, while Uzbekistan finished third. In total, Azerbaijani wrestlers won eight medals. Ulvi Ganizade (72 kg) became world champion, Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) and Hasrat Jafarov (67 kg) won silver, while Eldeniz Azizli (55 kg), Nureddin Novruzov (61 kg), Arseniy Dzhioev (86 kg), Osman Nurmagomedov (92 kg), and Murad Akhmediev (92 kg) earned bronze medals.
Monday, September 22, Georgia. Today marks the 300th day of continuous public protests demanding the resumption of Georgia’s EU integration process
● Today marks the 300th day of continuous public protests demanding the resumption of Georgia’s EU integration process, new fair parliamentary elections, and the release of arrested and convicted protesters. In Tbilisi, a march is scheduled to begin at 19:00 from the monument to the 300 Aragvians in the Ortachala district and proceed to parliament. On Rustaveli Avenue, a film screening and an exhibition on political prisoners are planned.
● Salome Samadashvili, one of the leaders of the opposition movement Lelo – Strong Georgia: “When you are in opposition but do not run against the regime in elections, you are helping the regime strengthen its position. For Bidzina Ivanishvili (the oligarch considered Georgia’s shadow ruler), this means an even greater consolidation of power. He will say that Georgians have no choice but Georgian Dream, no other political parties, since no one else is participating in the elections. The opposition’s decision to boycott the October 4 municipal elections strengthens the regime.” Only three opposition groups—Lelo – Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia, and Girchi—have fielded candidates. More on the elections and the opposition split here.
● The “president” of the Tskhinvali region (the self-proclaimed South Ossetia), Alan Gagloev, called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to recognize the independence of this territory. “We say openly: those in Georgia who have found the humanity to acknowledge Saakashvili’s responsibility for aggression against South Ossetia must now take the next step. They must recognize South Ossetia. Not for politics, but for the future, for justice, so that all peoples of the Caucasus can live under a peaceful sky,” Gagloev said. No comment has yet been made by the ruling party. Earlier, a special commission created by Georgian Dream concluded that former president Mikheil Saakashvili was responsible for starting the August 2008 war with Russia over South Ossetia. More here.
● Fifth President Salome Zurabishvili posted on X about Russia’s attacks on other countries: “How many alarm bells are needed? Russia continues to ignore and provoke the democratic world in Ukraine, and now in Poland and Estonia. Cyberattacks everywhere, interference in elections, propaganda warfare, hybrid war in Georgia. It’s time to act.”
● Georgian Dream’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili has traveled to the U.S., where he will deliver a speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. According to the press service, he will meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and attend an official reception in New York hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in honor of delegation heads participating in the General Assembly.
● The court has ordered pre-trial detention for four defendants in a case involving the production of untaxed cigarettes. Among them are Vasil Mkheidze, son-in-law of also-arrested former Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze (who served from 2020–2024), and Nugzar Tsabaurashvili, a member of the ex-minister’s personal security staff.
● In Tbilisi’s old town, the Legvtakhevi (Fig Gorge) has reopened after nearly two years of reconstruction. The main work focused on reinforcing the rock around the 22-meter waterfall, and special nets were installed above the pathways. The bridges over the Tsavkisistskali River have been renovated, and new lighting, benches, and trash bins have been installed. The city hall reported that the project was carried out with the participation of German and Austrian specialists.
