Day: October 9, 2023

Iran has rejected accusations that it helped Hamas plan and execute a massive attack on Israel that left more than 1,100 people dead and sparked a military response from the US.

However, Iran’s mission to the United Nations issued a statement on Sunday denying any involvement in the attack. “We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself,” the statement said. “The resolute measures taken by Palestine are in self-defense against the Israeli regime’s brutal aggression.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that American officials had not seen any evidence that Iran was behind the attack. He said that the US was working with its allies to de-escalate the situation and prevent further violence.

The attack has shattered hopes for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff between Iran and the US, which had been engaged in indirect talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The deal had imposed limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but former President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran. President Joe Biden had expressed his willingness to rejoin the deal if Iran returned to compliance.

The attack has also raised questions about Israel’s intelligence capabilities, which failed to anticipate or prevent such a large-scale and coordinated strike.

With the Russian Cat Away, the Azerbaijani Mouse Starts to Play  The New York Sun

Biden, US must hold Azerbaijan accountable. Armenians depend on it  Detroit Free Press

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FM confident Israel to defeat Hamas  Trend News Agency

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Experts to Biden Admin: ‘Wake Up’ To Avoid Second Armenian …  Victoria Advocate

Resolution against the Russian base in Abkhazia

The Georgian opposition is demanding from the Parliament to adopt a resolution prepared by it against the establishment of a Russian naval base in Abkhazia. The resolution is authored by representatives of the opposition, the parliamentary political group “For Georgia” and independent MP Teona Akubardia.

“The draft resolution strongly condemns Russia’s occupation, militarization and aggressive actions aimed at annexation of Georgia’s sovereign regions – Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region – a new expression of which is the decision to open a permanent Russian naval base in the port of Ochamchire in Abkhazia, as well as the attempt to integrate Abkhazia into the International. Russian-Belarusian Union,” the authors of the resolution state.

Key points of the resolution:

● This decision [to establish a Russian base] poses a direct threat to Georgia’s national security, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and poses a serious challenge to the security of the wider Black Sea region and the Euro-Atlantic space as a whole.

The draft resolution calls on the civilized world to restrain Russia’s aggressive policy and to stand by the fundamental principles of international law.

● [Resolution] Calls on the Russian Federation to immediately, fully and unconditionally withdraw all its armed and security forces from the territory of Georgia.

● Calls on the Government of Georgia to take timely and effective steps to mitigate the risks resulting from the decision to permanently station a Russian naval base in Abkhazia and to respond to Russia’s aggressive actions, both domestically and in the foreign policy arena.

The draft resolution also calls on the international community, Georgia’s strategic partners and friendly States to take a firm, united stance against Russia’s policy of occupation, militarization and annexation, as such a stance is the only way forward for Georgia’s democratic, secure and peaceful development and will also contribute to the strengthening of common Euro-Atlantic security.

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• “Russian military base in Abkhazia may become a legitimate target for Ukraine”. Opinion
• “Statement about new Russian base in Ochamchire is alarming” – Georgian Foreign Ministry
• Russian naval base in Abkhazia: “This is a guarantor of security, and the decision was not made today”

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Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania told the Russian media outlet Izvestia that a permanent Russian naval base will be established in the Abkhazian port of Ochamchira.

“We have signed an agreement, and in the near future there will be a permanent basing point of the Russian Navy in the Ochamchire district.

All this is aimed at increasing the level of defense capability of both Russia and Abkhazia, and serves the interests of Russia and Abkhazia, and security is the most important factor in this regard,” Bzhania said.

Secretary of the Security Council of Abkhazia Sergei Shamba reacted to the statement of Aslan Bzhania, explaining that the decision to establish the base was taken long ago. According to Shamba, this is an example for Abkhazia of realization of allied agreements with the Russian Federation.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry expresses “concern” about this and notes that such actions are a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

An auction will be held tomorrow at the Baku Stock Exchange (BSE) for the placement of interest-bearing registered, unsecured, undocumented bonds of “GL” JSC operating in Azerbaijan under the brand “Sizin Lombard”, with the code AZ2013020287 ISIN, with a nominal value of 425.000 manats and a circulation period of 5 years.This is reported by the BSE.Recall that 425 bonds with a nominal value of 1,000 manats or more are included in the …