Day: May 22, 2024

On May 22, the Financial Times reported that EU countries, among them Estonia, the Netherlands, Czechia, and Sweden, are pushing for discussion of sanctions against Georgia, including restrictive measures against Georgian Dream representatives who support the Foreign Agents Law at the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting scheduled for May 27. The move is in response to the GD government’s defiant stance on its highly controversial Russian-inspired “foreign agents” law.

The Financial Times notes that according to EU diplomats briefed by the media, the options for restrictive measures include revoking visa-free travel to the EU for Georgian citizens and targeted sanctions and the freezing of EU funds against Georgian officials. In addition, the Financial Times underlines that European capitals are considering “different measures of pressure on the Georgian government,” according to officials familiar with the matter.

The media outlet also notes that the EU is likely to move more slowly than Washington, the article notes, because some countries are worried that suspending visa-free travel could backfire, as tens of thousands of Georgians draped in EU flags have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest against the law.

“You have to be careful not to target the wrong people,” – the Financial Times quotes an EU diplomat.

FT also writes that Hungary has been supportive of the Georgian government, which may further delay any EU sanctions, which have to be agreed unanimously among the bloc’s 27 nations. The publication notes that Budapest passed a similar law, “setting up a dedicated agency that scrutinizes foreign funding received by opposition politicians, media and non-governmental organizations.”

Also Read:

• 22/05/2024 – Ambassador Fischer: “If Agents’ Law Passes, Germany Will Not Vote to Open EU Accession Negotiations with Georgia”
• 21/05/2024 – Venice Commission Strongly Recommends Repeal of Foreign Agents Law

The Turkish delegation led by Mahmut Özer, Chairman of the National Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye visited the Alley of Honors to pay tribute to the national leader, architect, and founder of the independent Azerbaijani state Heydar Aliyev, and to lay a wreath at his grave, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

Then, the delegation proceeded to the Alley of Martyrs to commemorate Azerbaijani heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country`s independence and territorial integrity, put flowers at their graves and placed a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

The delegation also visited the “Turkish Martyrdom” monument erected in memory of the heroic Turkish soldiers who died in the battles for the liberation of Baku from the Bolshevik-Armenian Dashnak troops in 1918, and put a wreath and flowers at the monument.

Mahmut Özer wrote his heartfelt words in the memorial book of the “Turkish Martyrdom” monument.

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The 2nd Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Interregional Forum, arranged in the town of Guba on May 21, featured exploring the economic potential of the regions of the two countries and opportunities for developing partnerships, as well as the signing of bilateral documents, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

Alongside the officials of both countries, the function was attended by businessmen from various sectors.

Addressing the forum, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov emphasized that the political determination and joint efforts of the heads of state lay the foundation of strategic partnership between the two countries. The minister emphasized that economic and trade cooperation plays a key role in mutual relations with Uzbekistan, noting that investment cooperation is also developing. Mikayil Jabbarov underscored that strengthening relations between the regions of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan would foster the evolution of mutually beneficial partnerships.

The forum participants provided insight into the investment potential of Azerbaijan, opportunities created for investors, transport, communication and infrastructure projects in the liberated territories. The Uzbek colleagues were invited to attend the COP29, scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan this November.

Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan emphasized that his country attaches special importance to Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations and bolstering economic and trade cooperation with Azerbaijan. He noted that there are ample opportunities for strengthening relations between the regions of the two countries.

Touching upon the Interregional forum, the Uzbek minister described it as a major platform for joint initiatives.

Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavand districts briefed the participants on the ongoing construction projects implemented in the liberated regions and the prospects for developing relations with Uzbekistan.

Other speakers at the forum included AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev and KOBIA Chairman Orkhan Mammadov, who highlighted the favorable business environment of Azerbaijan and the abundant investment opportunities available. They discussed cooperative measures with Uzbekistan and identified potential areas for joint action within business circles.

The forum, then, continued with meetings in B2B format.

The 4th meeting of the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Business Council was also held as part of the forum.

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The International Policy Digest, a publication based in the United States, issued an article titled “Russia’s Withdrawal from Karabakh Could Lead to a Lasting Peace”, highlighting new opportunities for rapprochement between Azerbaijan and Armenia following withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

“Under the terms of a 2020 ceasefire between the two countries, 1,960 Russian soldiers were stationed in the region, along with hundreds of units of armored personnel carriers and other military equipment. Their peacekeeping mandate was set to expire in November 2025.

Karabakh, a mountainous area internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, had been occupied by Armenia for almost three decades following the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, which erupted during the waning days of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan regained control of the territory during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 and a swift offensive in September 2023, in which the Russian contingent did not intervene. Six months later, Russia has withdrawn its troops from Karabakh, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov,” the article said.

The article also featured response by Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev to the question of Azerbaijan State News Agency regarding the early withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers. “The early withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers, temporarily stationed in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan in accordance with the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020, has been decided by the leaders of both countries,” Hajiyev said.

“A consensus to agree on a common border based on the Alma-Ata Protocols of 1991, which regulated the breakup of the Soviet Union, is particularly encouraging.

The Zangezur corridor, a proposed transport route through Armenia connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan, remains a contentious issue. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan supports the joint construction of a road and railway through the 34-kilometer strip of Armenian land separating Nakhchivan from Azerbaijan, as stipulated in the 2020 ceasefire agreement,” it said.

The article also includes an excerpt from an interview of Elchin Amirbayov, representative of the Azerbaijani president on special assignments to the German Die Zeit newspaper: “Armenia could overcome its isolation. It could collect transit fees and improve its relationship with Türkiye.” If Armenia rejects this offer, he noted, “Well, we could also build the road and railway further south through Iran, which would only be ten kilometers longer.”

The publication also highlighted Azerbaijan’s hosting the upcoming COP29 conference this year: “A significant sign of cooperation emerged last December when Armenia supported Azerbaijan’s bid to host this year’s COP29 in Baku. This first international gesture of support between the two neighbors indicates that regional cooperation is possible if external powers refrain from imposing their geopolitical agendas.”

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According to the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani delegation led by Prime Minister Ali Asadov will participate in the official commemoration ceremony in Tehran over the tragic death of Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and other accompanying individuals in a helicopter crash, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

The delegation includes Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, members of Azerbaijan-Iran working group on interparliamentary relations and other officials.

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As part of the working visit to the Swiss city of Geneva, Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, met with Gian Carlo Cirri, Director of the Geneva Global Office at the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), and Arnold Kreilhuber, the new Regional Director of the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Europe Office, according to Azerbaijan in Focus, reporting AzerTac.

During the meeting with the WFP official, discussions revolved around the joint collaboration between the IDEA and WFP in ending world hunger, which is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as well as providing food to people suffering from conflicts, natural disasters, and climate change.

Leyla Aliyeva highlighted IDEA’s successful multifaceted cooperation with various UN agencies in Azerbaijan and outside the region, emphasizing the readiness for a closer partnership with WFP. Leyla Aliyeva proposed involving the Azerbaijani volunteers in the WFP’s activities in different regions of the world, taking into account that the volunteer movement in Azerbaijan has gained momentum in recent years, accumulating a wealth of experience both inside and outside the country.

During the meeting with the regional director of the WFP, the sides referred to various projects implemented by the IDEA Public Union in Azerbaijan with the UN WFP program, highlighting the successful cooperation in the projects to fight for species protection, as well as initiatives to protect and restore the environment of the Caspian Sea. Leyla Aliyeva particularly noted that forests were cut down, water basins were polluted, natural resources were ruthlessly exploited in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories during almost 30 years, which resulted in serious damage to the environment of the country. In this regard, the meeting highlighted the significance of cooperation with the WFP to restore natural environment and ensure sustainable development in the occupied territories.

Head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva invited the representatives of both of the UN programs to participate in the COP29 conference, scheduled to be held in Baku this November, noting that they are ready to discuss the possibilities of holding joint events within this process.

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