Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of April 2025

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Pashinyan is facing mounting pressure from home and abroad

On March 30, residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, and the small town of Parakar, just outside the capital Yerevan, headed to the polls in snap municipal elections. In Parakar, the opposition Unity Bloc, in a decisive victory, received over 56% of the votes, meaning it will not need to form a coalition with any other bloc or party to elect a mayor. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract came in second with a little over 31% of the votes.

Meanwhile, the Civil Contract Party came in first in Gyumri; however, it received only 36% of the votes. The four other parties that cleared the voting threshold for representation, all opposing government policies, gained 19 seats. After several weeks of negotiations, the four opposition parties agreed on April 16 to elect Vardan Gukasyan, who headed the Communist Party slate and an outspoken Pashinyan critic, as mayor.

Over the past 18 months, Pashinyan has steered Armenia away from its traditional strategic ally, Russia, toward closer integration with the United States and European Union, even initiating a long-term EU accession process. More recently, he has promoted a plan, which he calls “Real Armenia,” to radically transform Armenian society.

Pashinyan’s Real Armenia agenda seeks to overhaul Armenia’s economic order by promoting individual initiative and entrepreneurship. It also calls on Armenians to adopt a new geopolitical outlook that draws a line on the past and focuses on the future. Pashinyan has stated that the ideals embodied by the program should be enshrined in a new constitution, to be adopted by a nationwide referendum. He wants to develop a draft before Armenia holds its next parliamentary election in 2026.

According to Eurasianet.org, the results of local elections indicate that Pashinyan has a daunting task in front of him to secure popular approval for the Real Armenia program and an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty. Municipal elections indicate that a diverse array of political forces opposing his government’s domestic and foreign policy courses are showing signs of coalescing against Pashinyan.

In late April, members of the newly formed “We Are Awake” movement submitted letters to all 107 MPs of the Armenian Parliament urging them to launch impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan, vowing to launch street protests to secure his removal. In a press briefing prior to submitting the letters, one of the leaders of the movement, former diplomat Edgar Ghazaryan, noted that they were not naming their own candidate to replace Pashinyan. The We Are Awake campaign came shortly after Armenia’s third president, Serzh Sargsyan, declared on April 24 that they had a plan to topple Pashinyan ahead of the 2026 Parliamentary elections.

Before that, Hayk Mamijanyan, the head of the opposition “I have Honour” faction and a member of Sargsyan’s Republican party, hinted at the initiative to impeach Pashinyan, albeit without revealing the movement’s name.

Armenian PM also finds that he has little room to manoeuvre as he tries to get Azerbaijan to sign a peace pact, the text of which has been finalised. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, is acting like there is no peace treaty ready to sign. Instead, Azerbaijani officials seem itching to renew hostilities. For the past several weeks, Baku has levelled near-daily accusations against Yerevan that Armenian forces are initiating armed provocations in border areas. Perhaps more ominously, the Azerbaijani press is full of hints that Baku does not consider the existing border between the two states to be fixed. Various media commentaries of late have featured the phrase “contingent border”.

Sources:
Gyumri’s newly elected mayor says he supports a union state with Russia

On April 16, Vardan Ghukasyan was elected Mayor of Gyumri during the first session of the Gyumri Council of Elders, receiving 18 votes in favour and none against. Ghukasyan was supported by 18 of the 19 opposition members of the council, while the 14-member faction of the ruling Civil Contract party did not participate in the session.

In a conversation with journalists on the same day, Ghukasyan was asked whether he might be nominated for Prime Minister of Armenia in 2026. He responded that he would consider it if supported by the public, stating, “If people call and say, ‘We believe you should take this responsibility,’ and stand by me with their support, then yes”, said Ghukasyan as cited by Caucasus Watch.

Ghukasyan also expressed support for a union state model similar to that of Belarus. He reiterated campaign promises that Russian businessmen would invest in Gyumri, saying, “We must address the hospital issue and establish joint factories and enterprises with Russia. All this will happen.” He added that while pro-Western forces might attract investments from Europe and America, he would ensure land availability and take necessary steps to support such ventures.

Addressing potential criticism for advocating a union state, Ghukasyan said he is unafraid of backlash and emphasised that Armenia needs a reliable partner while preserving its independence and sovereignty. He stated, “Let them criticise; I’m not afraid at all, and I believe I’m right. We should follow the Belarus model.”

Radar Armenia stressed that Ghukasyan is not alone in this view. Three years ago, during a press conference in February 2022, Robert Kocharyan repeated the same idea in much more “political” terms. Regarding joining the Russian-Belarusian Union State, Kocharyan noted: “If you are moving towards becoming a factor in this region, one of the possible solutions may be within the framework of the Russian-Belarusian Union State.” Despite Ghukasyan’s proclamations that he has no political support and is not currently on a political path with anyone, he is considered Kocharyan’s “protege”.

Sources:

  • GALOYAN Arman, Radar.am, “One-sided love for Russia: why are the titular opposition talking about the Union State?”, https://radar.am/en/news/opinion-2689721375/

  • Caucasus Watch, “New Gyumri Mayor Defends Union State Concept with Russia, Opposes Pashinyan’s Political Views, Discusses Prime Ministerial Aspirations”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/new-gyumri-mayor-defends-union-state-concept-with-russia-opposes-pashinyans-political-views-discusses-prime-ministerial-aspirations.html

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Armenian court overturns acquittal of ex-President Serzh Sargsyan

Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court of Appeals has overturned former President Serzh Sargsyan’s 2024 acquittal, sending his embezzlement case back to the courts for a new trial. On April 18, the court ruled in favour of the Prosecutor’s Office’s appeal to overturn the acquittals of Sargsyan and others.

Sargsyan, who was forced to step down following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, was charged in late 2019 and put on trial in early 2020. He was charged alongside businessperson Barsegh Beglaryan and three former Agriculture Ministry officials, including former Minister Sergo Karapetyan.

Sargsyan was accused of embezzling more than 490 million AMD (1.2 million USD) from the state in 2013 through an agricultural assistance programme intended to provide farmers with cheaper petrol. He allegedly meddled in a government tender for a fuel supplier and ensured that Flash — one of Armenia’s leading petrol companies with ties to Sargsyan — was chosen over cheaper alternatives.

He denied the charges while his party, the Republican Party, decried them as politically motivated. The Court of First Instance acquitted Sargsyan and the others in the case in May 2024, citing the lack of evidence in his sentencing. Prosecutors appealed against the ruling, insisting that the allegedly privileged treatment cost the state over 1 million USD in losses. The Anti-Corruption Court of Appeals granted the appeal, sending the case back to the lower court. Sarkisyan and his lawyers did not immediately react to the decision.

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Former Nagorno-Karabakh de facto MPs make legislative amendments to preserve institutions

On April 15, ahead of the last de facto president of Nagorno-Karabakh’s term that ends in May, former de facto MPs from the region convened a session to regulate the issue of the de facto president’s continued tenure through legislative amendments. “This change will simply provide an opportunity not to lose the state institutions, as well as the president”, Metakse Hakobyan, a former MP from the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament, told RFE/RL, as cited by OC Media.

According to the amendments, there will either be an election to choose a new de facto president or the last de facto president, Samvel Shahramanyan, will be allowed to remain in office, but no decision has been made yet as to which option will be chosen.

The preservation of state institutions is aimed at keeping the issue of returning to Nagorno-Karabakh on the agenda, not at forming a government in Armenia, RFE/RL quoted Hakobyan as saying. Hakobyan told News.am that 30 former de facto MPs participated in the session and that the amendments were adopted unanimously.

The Armenian government has strongly opposed the establishment of any Karabakh state structures within Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasised that any self-proclaimed “government” operating within Armenia’s borders is considered a national security concern. He stated, “If someone else in Armenia identifies himself as the government, this is a security issue for Armenia.”

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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Armenia pushes for long-term state housing programme, cuts monthly aid to Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians

The Armenian government plans to introduce a new program for socially vulnerable persons as part of revising the housing support program for forcibly displaced persons of the former de facto Nagorno-Karabakh. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan told Public Television that the new program’s purpose is to mitigate the social condition of families who could appear in a difficult situation after revising the housing support program, colloquially a 40+10-thousand-AMD program.

“We realise that due to these changes, there could be families who won’t be able to [pay] their rent. And the government has already decided to introduce a new, additional program along with this revised program, which would calculate the family’s income and determine whether there is a need to allocate additional money,” he said as cited by Armenpress.

The authorities adopted a decision in November 2024 to reduce the beneficiary groups, mainly excluding working-age people, and gradually reduce monthly assistance from 50,000 AMD (130 USD) to 30,000 AMD (80 USD) starting from April 1. On March 29, as the cuts were set to begin, Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians began to protest.

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Armenia and Iran conduct historic joint military drills amid shifting regional dynamics

On April 9–10, 2025, Armenia and Iran conducted what appears to be their first-ever joint military exercise along their shared 44-kilometre border. Billed as a counter-terrorism drill, the manoeuvre simulated attacks by fictional armed groups on border checkpoints, with each side operating strictly within its territory. While limited in scale and largely symbolic, the exercise carries important geopolitical weight and signals a new phase in Armenia-Iran relations, writes Civilnet.am.

Unlike previous Iranian drills with Azerbaijan, held in 2024 with real joint planning, troop exchanges, and integrated command structures, this exercise was more restrained. Yet, in its political message, it may be more consequential. These Armenian-Iranian drills send a deliberate signal amid a volatile regional climate. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has recently renewed threats to forcibly open the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” a project seen by Yerevan and Tehran as a direct challenge to Armenian sovereignty in the Syunik province and a disruption of Iran’s border with Armenia. For Tehran, this border is a red line. Iran has repeatedly made clear that it will not tolerate any attempt to redraw borders in the region.

The drill was held on the same day that Israeli and Turkish delegations met in Azerbaijan to discuss military deconfliction in Syria, where Israel has struck at least three Turkish airbases in the country as part of efforts to prevent the establishment of Ankara’s military presence there.

National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi led the Israeli delegation, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later confirmed the talks, calling for a mechanism akin to those Ankara maintains with the US and Russia. Turkish sources said efforts are underway to establish a hotline to avoid future clashes, a move Israeli officials likened to the existing Israel-Russia coordination channel.

Sources:

  • ARAKELYAN Eduard, Civilnet.am, “Armenian-Iranian drills send strategic signal amid regional volatility”, https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/945310/opinion-armenian-iranian-drills-send-strategic-signal-amid-regional-volatility/

  • SAYEH Janatan, Longwarjournal.org, “Iranian and Armenian militaries drill as Azerbaijan hosts Israel-Turkey talks”, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/04/iranian-and-armenian-militaries-drill-as-azerbaijan-hosts-israel-turkey-talks.php

Azerbaijan

City of Shusha. Photo: Eva Mont/ Shutterstock.com

Azerbaijani foreign policy in April 2025

On the diplomatic front, in April 2025, Baku held talks with the EU, Iran, China, and German representatives. It also joined a new trilateral format with Armenia and Georgia.

In April 2025, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss EU-Azerbaijan relations and Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security. Kallas reportedly emphasised the “very successful and efficient cooperation” between the EU and Azerbaijan in regards to energy, noting that Azerbaijan acts as a “reliable partner in ensuring Europe’s energy security”.

In turn, Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan already supplies gas to 10 European countries, including eight EU members, focusing on the “successful and fruitful dialogue” between Azerbaijan and the EU within the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council framework.

Aliyev also raised the possibility of further cooperation in the field of renewable energy, noting the “rich wind energy resources” located in the Caspian Sea, as well as the role Azerbaijan has played in the development of the Trans-Caspian renewable energy corridor with Central Asia and the implementation of projects in the Black Sea, along with Georgia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

Ahead of her visit to Baku, a number of European politicians criticised Kallas, noting the context the meeting would be held, especially given its timing immediately after the 110th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Cypriot MEP Loucas Fourlas highlighted that the visit by Kallas “comes amid Azerbaijan’s continued cross-border violence, the illegal detention of Armenian civilians, and open threats against the EU Mission in [Armenia]”. Similarly, Spanish MP Francesc-Marc Álvaro noted that set against this context, the visit could “damage relations between the EU and Armenia, a key partner with a strong commitment to peace”.

“Armenia chooses democracy, adopted [the EU-accession] law, faces threats — yet the [EU] foreign policy chief visits autocratic Azerbaijan instead. Why reward the aggressor and ignore the reformer?”, Greek MEP Emmanouil Fragkos asked. In turn, former German MP Michael Roth questioned whether “gas is more important to use than [pro-EU] commitment” and the “strategic thinking” in Brussels.

On April 28, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with his Azerbaijani counterpart in a rare visit to Baku, the latest sign of a thaw in relations between the two neighbours, wrote France 24. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Pezeshkian’s visit “is a reflection of the high level of relations between the two countries”. “Our peoples have lived for centuries in an atmosphere of friendship and brotherhood. Today, our interstate relations are developing on this solid foundation,” he added. Earlier, Pezeshkian expressed hopes for a “rapid and serious improvement” in relations and cooperation between the two countries as part of a broader effort to “mend ties”.

According to Iranian media reports, in a recent sign of rapprochement, Iran and Azerbaijan held two days of joint naval exercises in the Caspian Sea in November. But Tehran has long expressed concerns that Azerbaijani territory could be used by Israel — a significant arms supplier to Baku — to stage a potential attack on Iran. Another point of dispute between the two countries has been the so-called Zangezur corridor, a proposed direct land link between Azerbaijan and Turkey. Tehran strongly opposes the project, which would run along Iran’s border with Armenia.

On April 23, Aliyev launched an official state visit to China, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and giving an interview to Chinese media. During the expanded meeting, presidents positively recalled the Joint Declaration on strategic partnership between the two countries, which was adopted during last year’s meeting in Astana. They noted that the Joint Statement, which will be signed later that day by both heads of state, will further elevate the level of comprehensive strategic partnership. The discussion also covered areas of cooperation and mutual support within international organisations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and other institutions.

Earlier on April 1, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Baku, capping off his several-day trip to the South Caucasus, which also saw him visit Armenia. During the visit, Steinmeier praised the progress made towards the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the terms of which were finally agreed upon, at least in theory, in March. In turn, Aliyev also spoke about the peace process, repeating that “the text of the peace treaty consisting of 17 paragraphs has been fully agreed upon. Azerbaijan is not putting forward any additional conditions here”. Aliyev emphasised that two issues remain—the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and the change of the Armenian Constitution, which he says contains “an open territorial claim against us”.

On April 17, a trilateral meeting between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia was held in Tbilisi. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia participated alongside his counterparts Elnur Mammadov from Azerbaijan and Vahan Kostanyan from Armenia. Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili also attended the talks. “The primary goal of the meeting is to share the common interests and perspectives of the three countries on initiatives that will strengthen mutually beneficial, practical trilateral cooperation, fostering prosperity, stability, and sustainable development in the region,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release. “This trilateral meeting among the Ministries of Foreign Affairs does not replace or contradict existing cooperation formats but serves as an additional effort by the three neighbouring countries to establish constructive and mutually beneficial collaboration.”

According to the press release, the trilateral meeting was preceded by consultations among Maka Botchorishvili, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, and Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, during which the initiative for this trilateral dialogue was launched.

Sources:
  •  KUENNING Ksandie, OC Media, “Kallas meets with Aliyev during controversial visit to Baku”, https://oc-media.org/kallas-meets-with-aliyev-during-controversial-visit-to-baku/
  • France 24, „Iranian president visits Azerbaijan as ties warm”, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250428-iranian-president-visits-azerbaijan-as-ties-warm
  • President.az, „Ilham Aliyev held expanded meeting with President of China Xi Jinping”, https://president.az/en/articles/view/68632
  • OSTILLER Nate, OC Media, “German President Steinmeier arrives in Baku for historic visit clouded by controversy”, https://oc-media.org/german-president-steinmeier-arrives-in-baku-for-historic-visit-clouded-by-controversy/
  • Caucasus Watch, “New Trilateral Format Launched in Tbilisi”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/new-trilateral-format-launched-in-tbilisi.html

Azerbaijan: Recent developments in energetics

In April 2025, Azerbaijan expanded its influence in the Balkans’ energy sector and announced plans to explore new fields in the Caspian Sea.            The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) officially presented its flagship gasification initiative for the Korça region of Albania, reported Caliber.az. This marks a significant step in the expansion of Azerbaijani energy investments into the Western Balkans.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov shared the news of the project’s public launch on the social media platform X. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku, and other high-ranking officials attended the event. “This project, which is the first step in the development of gas infrastructure in Albania, is important not only to diversify the country’s energy supply and support the climate agenda but also to expand the geography of gas supply in Azerbaijan,” Shahbazov emphasised.

The gasification initiative, dubbed project “Nur”, represents the first Azerbaijani-backed effort to establish a gas infrastructure network in Albania. It aims to improve regional energy security, reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels, and contribute to Albania’s decarbonisation goals in line with European energy standards.

The initiative’s groundwork was laid in November 2024, when SOCAR, Albania’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, and the Albanian gas transmission operator Albgaz signed a memorandum of cooperation focused on gas infrastructure development in the Korça region. Construction of the new infrastructure will begin in 2025, with full completion projected for 2027.

Meanwhile, on March 14, BP reported that it plans to explore new oil fields in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea, according to BP’s Upstream Chief Gordon Birrell, who spoke to Reuters. While BP is already working to mitigate declining output at the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli (ACG) oilfields and the Shah Deniz gas field, this marks the first time the company has publicly discussed new exploration projects in the region.

Birrell stated that BP is pursuing multiple opportunities in Azerbaijan, including further developing ACG and Shah Deniz within existing production-sharing agreements, accessing discovered but undeveloped resources, and launching new exploration projects. He emphasised that Azerbaijan remains a key area for BP’s upstream investments.

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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Repressions against journalists and the civil society in April 2025

New convictions, kidnappings, and hunger strikes characterised the situation for Azerbaijani journalists and human rights activists in April 2025. Multiple prisoners in Azerbaijan went on a hunger strike at the beginning of April. The first prisoner to do so, prominent opposition politician Tofig Yagublu, a member of the opposition Musavat Party, announced his “death hunger strike” in March after being sentenced to nine years in prison.

In an entirely separate decision, Polad Aslanov, a journalist and head of the Xeberman.com media outlet, began his own hunger strike on April 5. According to his wife Gulmira Aslanova, her husband made the decision because “in a country where justice and law do not work, the prisoner has no other choice”.

Members of the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM) — a religious opposition group in Azerbaijan — have also begun a hunger strike across three prisons across the country, protesting police brutality. MUM spokesperson Abulfas Bunyatov posted on Facebook on April 4 that MUM member Samir Babayev from the Umbaki district prison had joined the hunger strike. According to Bunyatov, Babayev began his strike after police threatened to take his wife to the police station, after which they detained his sister-in-law, Khayala Gurbanova. “Samir Babayev, who is aware of the problem, was touched by the events and condemned the incident and the forced delivery of the woman to the police station as a means of pressure”, Bunyatov wrote, adding that Babayev would “continue the hunger strike until the issue is resolved legally”. On the same day, Bunyatov posted that another nine prisoners, not members of the MUM, also joined the hunger strike.

Talysh historian Zahiraddin Ibrahimov reportedly disappeared on March 26 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Shortly afterwards, his relatives in the Lankaran district in southern Azerbaijan received a letter from Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SSS), which listed several charges against Ibrahimov, including treason. Ibrahimov has lived in Russia for more than twenty years; he received citizenship in 2002. His friend Ali Aghayev, a Talysh blogger who lives in exile in Sweden, told OC Media that they have known each other since 1989.

“They planned this detention before with the Russian authorities. Because on March 26, the SSS prepared a letter to [Ibrahimov’s] village, and this letter was received on April 9, yet he disappeared on March 26”, Aghayev said. The Talysh people are Azerbaijan’s largest minority, estimated to be at least 500,000 and up to one million. However, they have long struggled to secure their own ethnic autonomy and civil rights, including the ability to access education in the Talysh language. According to his lawyers, Ibrahimov remains in an SSS detention centre. Neither the SSS nor pro-government Azerbaijani media outlets have commented on Zahiraddin Ibrahimov’s kidnapping.

On April 16, The Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Mehman Aliyev, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, to imprisonment in a drug case. The defence intends to appeal his sentence. “Mehman Aliyev denied the charges in his final statement. He stated that he was arrested for distributing a video of police officers trying to detain his relative Ali Isayev, who was shouting that they wanted to falsely accuse him of a drug crime. Mehman Aliyev began filming what was happening. Mehman Aliyev suggested that law enforcement officers conduct a personal search of Isayev in front of a video camera. Still, the plainclothes law enforcement officers continued to try to forcibly put Ali in a car, and the latter cut himself. After that, the police demanded that Mehman Aliyev delete the video. But my client refused to do so. As a result, Aliyev and Isayev were arrested on charges of illegal drug trafficking, but on different cases,” said lawyer Mehdiyev.

Meanwhile, LabourStart, an international labour news website, has launched a petition calling on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to release several detained members of Azerbaijan’s Labour Desk Confederation of Trade Unions. The campaign and its petition were launched on April 16. The default message addressing Aliyev calls on him to release the union chair, Afiaddin Mammadov, and members Aykhan Israfilov, Elvin Mustafayev, and Mohyaddin Orujov.

“The prosecution of these individuals undermines Azerbaijan’s international obligations to protect freedom of association and the right to organise, as outlined in ILO Conventions 87 and 98”, read the message. “We respectfully urge your government to release the imprisoned activists immediately and take meaningful steps toward respecting workers’ rights, democratic freedoms, and international legal standards,” it continues. Sara Rahimova, a labour rights activist, told OC Media that the campaign will continue for around three months.

Afiaddin Mammadov was arrested in September 2023 and was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of hooliganism and intentionally causing serious bodily harm to someone. Aykhan Israfilov and Elvin Mustafayev were arrested on drug charges in August 2023. Both were sentenced to three years in prison in 2024, while Mohyaddin Orujov, who was detained in October 2023 also on drug charges, was sentenced to three years in prison in February. Afiaddin Mammadov was arrested in September 2023 and was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of hooliganism and intentionally causing serious bodily harm to someone.

Sara Rahimova, a Labour Desk Confederation of Trade Unions board member, was later briefly detained in Baku on April 29. According to a message she texted to friends, Rahimova faced police brutality during the initial detention and was forcibly taken to the police station, where she was unreachable for 15 hours.

In mid-April, political researcher, anti-war activist, and doctoral candidate at Charles University in Prague, Bahruz Samadov — who is accused of treason in Azerbaijan — has addressed a letter to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. “Mr Prime Minister, I ask you to remain committed to the peace agenda, to do everything possible to prevent ceasefire violations along the Armenia–Azerbaijan border, and to take practical steps toward enabling peaceful coexistence in the future. For lasting peace, both sides must build values rooted in a shared future and common geography. At the heart of these values must be the unconditional rejection of violence. I also ask you to make an official and substantiated statement confirming that I have had no cooperation with Armenian intelligence services. I hope that communication between the two sides will lead to my swift release and put an end to my anti-war imprisonment.”

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Anglo Asian Mining begins ore extraction at the Gilar deposit in Azerbaijan

British company Anglo Asian Mining Plc. (AAM), which extracts gold, silver and copper in Azerbaijan, plans to start full-scale mining at the Gilar gold deposit in the Dashkesan region in May this year, Report.az informed, referring to the company’s message. “The first ore was mined at the Gilar mine in March this year, and full mining will begin in May,” the report says.

Mining is carried out in “Zone 4” of the Gilar deposit, the reserves of which are estimated at 2.4 million tons of ore with a copper content of 1.47% and gold of 1.78 g/t. The company previously reported that it plans to gradually increase gold production at Gilar over the coming months to achieve a target production level of 50,000-60,000 tons of ore per month. In general, in 2025, AAM expects to mine about 400,000 tons of ore at the Gilar mine.

The deposit has a total mineral resource estimate according to the JORC standard of 54,000 tons of copper and 255,000 ounces of gold. Anglo Asian Mining produces precious metals in the Gadabay and Gosha contract areas. The PSA contract was signed on August 21, 1997, and envisaged the development of six deposits. The share of Azerbaijan, which is represented in the contract by AzerGold CJSC, is 51%, while AAM’s share is 49%. The company currently has the right to develop eight contract areas in Azerbaijan.

Sources:
  •  ABBASOVA Nigar, Report.az, “Anglo Asian Mining plans to start full-scale production at Gilar gold deposit in May”, https://report.az/en/industry/anglo-asian-mining-plans-to-start-full-scale-production-at-gilar-gold-deposit-in-may/

Georgia

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Georgian Dream chair and ex-Prime Minister Gharibashvili announces exit from politics

The chair of the Georgian Dream and former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has announced his departure from politics. Speaking at a briefing in the ruling party office on April 25, Gharibashvili said he had “honourably fulfilled his duty” to the country, the people, and the party, and that he would remain a supporter of the ruling team.

Gharibashvili said he had made the announcement amid “speculations” surrounding his political future. In his words, “Today, the Georgian Dream has finally consolidated into a unified and strong political force”. He repeatedly praised the party’s founder and current honorary chair, Bidzina Ivanishvili, describing him as a “guarantor of peace and stability in the country”. “Under [Ivanishvili’s] leadership, the Georgian Dream helped the country and society avoid major threats and saved the country. At the same time, it brought tangible progress across all areas and sectors”, he said.

“Against this backdrop, I believe that the honourable mission entrusted to me by the party’s founder and our team has, one could say, been fulfilled. I no longer see the need to remain as party chair or in politics in general”, Gharibashvili added, as cited by OC Media.

At his farewell press briefing, Gharibashvili once again launched a sharp attack on the former ruling party, the United National Movement (UNM), claiming that if Georgian Dream had not defeated UNM in 2012, ‘today, we would no longer have a country’.

“As for your question, whether there is a possibility that I will return to politics, nothing is ruled out. My main motivation is to leave politics, devote more time to my family, and life will show the rest. As for the future chairman, wait, and you will find out. I told you that I am not staying in politics now. I am remaining a loyal soldier of our country. I am a supporter of Bidzina Ivanishvili and I am a loyal supporter of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team, a soldier. Today I decided to leave politics, of course I cannot say anything in advance, whether I will have to return to politics or not, I may not have to, I may have to. Let’s wait. I wish everyone success.”

“As for the fact that I left the party because I created an opposition party, this is nonsense,” said Gharibashvili. Part of Ivanishvili’s team from the early days, Gharibashvili was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs in 2012, in the very first government formed by Georgian Dream after coming to power.

Later in 2013, he succeeded Ivanishvili as prime minister, a position he held until the end of 2015 before stepping away from public politics. He returned in 2019 to serve as Defence Minister. In 2021, following the resignation of then‑Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia — now an opposition politician — over internal disagreements, Gharibashvili once again took over as head of government.

In 2024, he stepped down as prime minister and became the chair of Georgian Dream, a role he held until his latest resignation. He was succeeded as prime minister by Irakli Kobakhidze, who remains in the position

Sources:
  • GVADZABIA Mikheil, OC Media, “Georgian Dream chair and ex-Prime Minister Gharibashvili announces exit from politics”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-dream-chair-and-ex-prime-minister-gharibashvili-announces-exit-from-politics/
  • Interpress News, “Irakli Gharibashvili: No position is eternal – Georgian Dream has finally formed into a united and strong political force – I have fulfilled the honourable mission that was entrusted to me, and I no longer see the need to stay in politics”, https://www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/139305-irakli-gharibashvili-no-position-is-eternal-georgian-dream-has-finally-formed-into-a-united-and-strong-political-force-i-have-fulfilled-the-honorable-mission-that-was-entrusted-to-me-and-i-no-longer-see-the-need-to-stay-in-politics
New wave of sanctions against representatives of the Georgian ruling regime

In April 2025, the United Kingdom and Poland sanctioned additional representatives of the Georgian regime. On April 2, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the United Kingdom sanctioned two senior Georgian judges — Mikheil Chinchaladze, chairman of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals and a former member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia, and Levan Murusidze, a judge of the same court and a current member of the High Council of Justice. The UK cited their involvement in serious corruption aimed at influencing judicial appointments and taking decisions in favour of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Both individuals are now subject to asset freezes under the UK’s Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations 2021, meaning any assets or financial accounts held within British jurisdiction will be frozen.

On April 10, London sanctioned four additional Georgian officials responsible for serious human rights violations. The Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office designated Shalva Bedoidze, Mirza Kezevadze, Karlo Katsitadze, and Giorgi Gabitashvili under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulation 2020. The imposition of financial sanctions envisages freezing the designated persons’ funds and economic resources.

“Our sanctions show the UK will not accept such a blatant lack of accountability by those in charge and will continue to consider all options available to us until Georgia reverses its current trajectory,” commented UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. “We stand with the people of Georgia and their constitutional right to fundamental freedoms and to pursue a European path.”

Shalva Bedoidze,  sanctioned by the Baltic states in December 2024, serves as the First Deputy GD Minister of Internal Affairs. Giorgi Gabitashvili serves as the Prosecutor General of Georgia and has already been sanctioned by Estonia. Karlo Katsitadze is the Head of the Special Investigative Service of Georgia. He is sanctioned by Estonia, too. Mirza Kezevadze, the Deputy Head of the Special Task Department of the Interior Ministry, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in December 2024 for his brutal crackdown on media, opposition figures, and protesters during demonstrations throughout 2024. He was also sanctioned by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic.

Later, on April 17, Poland also banned eight representatives of Georgia’s “enforcement authorities” from entering its territory. According to OC Media, this appears to be the first time Poland has sanctioned Georgia. In response to violence against protesters and ongoing civil society repression, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the UK, Ukraine, and the US have issued their own travel bans or financial sanctions.

Sources:
  •  Civil.ge, “UK Sanctions Senior Georgian Judges Over Serious Corruption”, https://civil.ge/archives/673347
  • Civil.ge, “UK Sanctions Georgia’s Prosecutor General, Three Security Officials for Human Rights Abuses”, https://civil.ge/archives/675183
  • KUENNING Xandie, OC Media, “Poland issues travel bans against Georgian law enforcement representatives”, https://oc-media.org/poland-issues-travel-bans-against-georgian-law-enforcement-representatives/
The Georgian government is preparing for EU’s move to suspend visa-free travel

Since mid-April, the ruling Georgian Dream party has been bracing for a scenario in which the European Union suspends visa-free travel privileges for Georgians in response to the government’s embrace of authoritarian practices. “Visa-free access is granted to European countries that are democracies, respect human rights, and do not pose migration issues. We must assess whether these conditions are still being met [in Georgia],” Germany’s ambassador in Tbilisi, Peter Fischer, recently stated.

In confronting the growing possibility of a suspension, Georgian Dream leaders have seemingly decided their best defence is to go on the rhetorical offensive. Responding to Fischer’s comments, Shalva Papuashvili, chairman of Georgia’s parliament, effectively told the German envoy to shut up: “Is visa-free travel some sort of divine gift? We also have visa-free access for Germans, so what?” Papuashvili said, as cited by Eurasianet.org.

Other Georgian Dream figures have tried to downplay the issue’s significance, insisting, against all available evidence, that it is not a big concern for Georgians. “I don’t have such a low opinion of the Georgian people that visa-free would matter more to them than rejecting an anti-national, anti-Christian policy,” said Sozar Subari, an MP and leader of the government’s most anti-Western faction.

Later, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in an interview with RFE/RL’s Europe that the European Union is weighing a range of measures amid Georgia’s ongoing democratic backsliding and deteriorated human rights condition, including the possible suspension of visa liberalisation, freezing of the country’s EU candidate status, and a review of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DFCTA) with the bloc.

From 2017 to 2024, more than a million Georgians have travelled to the Schengen Area without needing a visa. As the debate over its potential suspension grows louder, so do the voices of citizens for whom short-term travel is essential, whether for medical treatment, education and work opportunities or reuniting with family abroad.

Sources:
  •  MACHAIDZE Irakli, Eurasianet.org, “Georgian government preparing for EU move to suspend visa-free travel”, https://eurasianet.org/georgian-government-preparing-for-eu-move-to-suspend-visa-free-travel
  • Civil.ge, “EU Weighs Suspending Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel, Reviewing DCFTA and Candidate Status”, https://civil.ge/archives/678451

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Alt-Info resurrected in new “Conservatives for Georgia”

The ultra-conservative, anti-Western, openly pro-Russian and anti-liberal Alt-Info movement was registered on April 22, by the public registry as a political party “Conservatives for Georgia,” reported Civil.ge.  In 2024, the public registry cancelled Alt-Info’s registration as a political party. The decision was based on a request from the Anti-Corruption Bureau to the public registry to verify the legality of the party’s registration, particularly regarding irregularities in signatures. It was widely believed, however, that the decision not to register the party was related to GD’s attempts to consolidate votes ahead of the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections.

Disgruntled Alt-Info members then merged with another pro-Russian force, the Patriots Alliance, to participate in the parliamentary elections. A few days after the elections, in which they failed to secure the 5 per cent threshold to enter parliament, Alt-Info also had to shut down the TV station it operated, citing financial reasons. “We are registering a party because we don’t have one, and it is the demand of the people and our supporters to create the party and for us to continue party work,” Konstantine Morgoshia, a US-sanctioned leader of the revived political party, told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service on February 28.

The public registry’s green light for the pro-Russian political party comes several months before local elections scheduled for October 4, in which many of the pro-European political forces that consider the 2024 parliamentary elections rigged say they will not participate.

Sources:
  •  Civil.ge, “Alt-Info Resurrected in New Conservatives for Georgia”, https://civil.ge/archives/677282
Georgia introduces election amendments that critics say will increase fraud

On April 3, Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved amendments to regulations that tighten election-day procedures and limit media and observer access to polling stations. Civil society groups, former President Salome Zurabishvili, and opposition figures criticised the move as a step backwards for electoral transparency and warned that the changes could make it more difficult to detect voter fraud, including the recurring problem of carousel voting.

It will be prohibited for any person with the right to be present at the polling station to demand to see or take a voter’s identification card, or to take photographs and videos of it, or to otherwise process the document, as well as the data displayed on the verification device.

Media representatives will be limited to taking photos or video at polling stations for no more than once and for no more than ten minutes, as longer coverage will only be permitted from a specific area designated by the polling station chairperson.

Photo and video recording will only be allowed from a distance of at least three meters from the subject. While the amendments allow for “unobstructed” photo and video recording when high-profile individuals – politicians and religious leaders – are voting, the decree states that the recording devices must be removed from the building after these individuals have voted.

Sources:

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