Month: May 2025

French foreign minister’s visit to Yerevan

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has arrived in Armenia on an official visit. He took part in the international conference “Yerevan Dialogue” and met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. During a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart, the French minister addressed the issue of ongoing defence cooperation — a matter of particular public interest in Armenia.

“We must emphasise our countries’ cooperation in the field of defence — whether it’s the retraining of personnel or arms supplies. The aim of all this is to enable Armenia to ensure its own defence capability and protect its sovereignty,” said Jean-Noël Barrot.

The ministers signed a declaration providing for annual political consultations, cooperation in combating disinformation, and retraining of diplomats.

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Barrot assures Pashinyan that France is ready to deepen ties with Armenia

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Nikol Pashinyan discussed with the French Foreign Minister:

• the implementation of new joint infrastructure development projects and the attraction of investments,
• regional processes, including the latest developments around the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Prime Minister emphasised how important deepening cooperation with France is for Armenia. Barrot, in turn, reaffirmed his country’s consistent support for strengthening Armenia’s capacities and development.

“The French Foreign Minister noted that his country is ready to continue deepening and expanding relations with Armenia in both political and economic spheres,” the official statement reads.

Armenia and France set to deepen military cooperation in 2025

Yerevan signs Armenia-France Defence Cooperation Programme for 2025.

Paris backs normalisation of ties with Azerbaijan

Barrot stated that France supports the complex negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have already produced a draft peace agreement:

“I want to highlight Prime Minister Pashinyan’s courage. The time has come to sign and ratify the agreement. France, the United States, and the whole of Europe are saying this — in support of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The French minister stressed that the South Caucasus is viewed as a key region linking the European Union with the East. He added that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan would also benefit the EU:

“This is why we supported the Armenian authorities’ efforts to develop a peace plan. This is why we backed the political consensus around it. And this is why we now call on both sides to sign and ratify the treaty. On the basis of peace, we can build a dignified future and regional integration.”

Peace talks over coffee: Pashinyan and Aliyev meet in Tirana

The office of the Armenian Prime Minister reports that “the parties discussed the current situation and attached importance to the continuity of the process towards its signing”

“There is reason to consider relations with France strategic”

“At the forefront of our discussions was the dynamic Armenia–France bilateral agenda and the jointly developed roadmap for our relations, which gives us grounds to consider them strategic,” said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a joint press conference with his French counterpart.

Among the projects already implemented, Mirzoyan highlighted the importance of the newly built reservoir in Vedi. He noted that France contributes to Armenia’s economic development in many areas.

He emphasised that Armenia and France are now cooperating in fields that just a few years ago would not even have been up for discussion.

Mirzoyan did not specify which areas he was referring to, but it is widely understood that he meant defence cooperation. In recent years, Paris has become one of Armenia’s main arms suppliers.

France to open consulate in Syunik

During the press conference, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced plans to open a consulate on Armenia’s southern border:

“An Armenian-French conference on decentralised cooperation will soon take place in the town of Goris, in Syunik Province. This marks an important stage in the collaboration between our two countries. It is also a political symbol — as the event will be held in Goris, where France will open a consulate.”

The development of decentralised cooperation was also praised by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who said it would contribute to the growth of regions that hold strategic importance for Armenia.

Opinion: “Armenia needs to sign a trilateral agreement with France and India”

The leader of the “Republic” party and former PM, Aram Sargsyan, believes that this is good for Armenia’s security

Armenia is not alone”

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke about the importance of cooperation with France in deepening Armenia’s partnership with the European Union:

“Our dialogue with the EU is proceeding with very active support from our French partners.”

Armenia’s parliament has already approved a draft law to begin the process of EU accession. Mirzoyan said that Armenian society holds high expectations for this process:

“We may have expectations, but perhaps the EU is not fully ready for them. So it is important to understand where our visions align. And if they do align, how we should act and how we should plan our joint future.”

He warned that if the Armenian government or the EU fail to meet those expectations, it could lead to deep public disillusionment:

“If the moment is missed, I can hardly imagine when we will be able to resume the process.”

The French foreign minister assured that Armenia is not alone in its aspiration to join the EU, but noted that the path is a difficult one:

“The most difficult part is meeting EU standards in terms of the rule of law, democracy, freedom, press freedom, and an independent judiciary.”

According to Jean-Noël Barrot, the EU works with candidate countries to explain to their societies the kind of effort that membership requires — while also supporting those efforts. He said it is within this logic that the EU has backed Armenia, including through assistance from the European Peace Facility and the launch of talks on visa liberalisation.

“EU decisions open new opportunities for Armenia”: a comment from Yerevan

The European Union has approved a decision to provide Armenia with 10 million euros from the European Peace Facility and announced the start of a dialogue with Yerevan on visa liberalization

The trial of Armenian national Ruben Vardanyan, accused under numerous articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan—including crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, financing of terrorism, and other grave offenses—resumed on May 27.

As part of the international conference titled “Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias, Shattering Stigmas”, a panel session on “Youth Voices for Inclusion: Tackling Prejudice and Misconceptions” was held in Baku.

Agalarov’s casino in Baku

This story begins in October 2024, when Emin Agalarov — former son-in-law of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev — publicly shared his dream of opening a casino at the Sea Breeze entertainment complex in Baku.

Around the same time, Azerbaijani TV channels and online media began broadcasting a wave of reports highlighting the economic benefits that gambling brings to state budgets in other countries.

Is there a direct link between these reports and Emin Agalarov’s plans? And how could such an ambitious project go ahead in a country where casinos have been officially banned since 1998 by a decree signed by then-President Heydar Aliyev?

JAMnews and Mikroskop Media investigated the story.

The 1998 decision to shut down casinos, betting shops, and cash-prize games in Azerbaijan was justified by several reasons:

• They harm the economy;
• They facilitate money laundering;
• They have a negative impact on the morals of the younger generation.

Nevertheless, Emin Agalarov clearly believes he can open a casino. His confidence may stem from a recent precedent in which the law was amended to support another Sea Breeze project.

That project was the Caspian Dream Liner — an artificial peninsula built in the Caspian Sea.

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To make that project possible, parliament passed a special law allowing Agalarov to officially register residential buildings designed in the shape of a cruise ship.

However, in 2024, the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Agalarov had begun construction of the artificial island a year before the law was adopted.

Now, Emin Agalarov is already posting updates and videos about the casino project on social media. Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov appears in some of the footage, while the media is flooded with headlines such as: “Casinos — a forgotten source of income for Azerbaijan’s economy” and “Why shouldn’t Baku become the Las Vegas of the Caucasus?”

Nearly all publications stress the same point: Azerbaijani citizens travel abroad to gamble, leading to a financial outflow from the domestic market.

Not the first case of media promotion campaign: taxi story and Pasha Holding

This is not the first time local TV channels have laid the groundwork for a business venture linked to the presidential family. A similar media campaign unfolded when Pasha Holding was preparing to launch a new taxi service.

An investigation by Mikroskop Media in June 2023 revealed that after Pasha Holding announced plans to enter the taxi business, Azerbaijani TV channels began sharply criticising other existing taxi services in the country.

The media highlighted numerous shortcomings in their operations. Not long after, a new taxi service owned by Pasha Holding entered the market.

Now, since April 2025, Azerbaijani media have been actively debating the benefits of the gambling industry.

To legalise a casino, legislative changes would be required — including amendments to the criminal code and the code of administrative offences. No public discussion on this has taken place so far.

Arrest of Ivanishvili’s former adviser Bachiashvili

On 27 May 2025, it was reported that Giorgi Bachiashvili, former financial adviser to Bidzina Ivanishvili and former head of the Co-Investment Fund, had been arrested by Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) near the Georgian-Armenian border. He is accused of embezzling up to $42 million.

Bachiashvili’s international lawyers claim he was forcibly returned to Georgia and argue that the arrest is driven by the personal vendetta of Georgia’s de facto ruler, Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Arrest at the border

According to Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG), Bachiashvili was arrested on 26 May in the area between the “Red Bridge” and “Sadakhlo” checkpoints. It is unclear which country’s border he was approaching — Armenia or Azerbaijan. The SSG said his whereabouts were revealed by an anonymous informant.

Bachiashvili was wanted by Interpol under a red notice — the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant — and holds dual citizenship: Georgian and Russian.

The case against Bachiashvili was launched in 2023 based on a complaint by Bidzina Ivanishvili. Prosecutors accused him of embezzling up to $40 million in cryptocurrency. On 6 July 2023, Tbilisi City Court imposed bail of 2.5 million lari.

On 2 March 2025, Giorgi Bachiashvili secretly left Georgia. According to the SSG, he crossed the Georgian-Armenian border illegally, bypassing the checkpoint while hidden in a special compartment of a vehicle.

Following his escape, reports circulated that Bachiashvili was in Qatar and/or the United Arab Emirates.

The prosecution declared him wanted. On 10 March 2025, Tbilisi City Court sentenced Giorgi Bachiashvili in absentia to 11 years in prison over the cryptocurrency case. The former Ivanishvili associate was found guilty of “major embezzlement” and “legalisation of illicit income” — i.e., money laundering.

Bachiashvili and his lawyers maintain that the case is politically motivated.

He now also faces two additional criminal charges: illegal border crossing and failure to fulfil official duties in connection with the Mtkvari HPP project during his tenure as head of the Co-Investment Fund.

How did Bachiashvili end up at the border?

Bachiashvili’s lawyers claim he was forcibly returned to Georgia. They point to serious risks of torture, ill-treatment, and an unfair trial in the case against him.

In a statement issued in Washington, his legal team stressed that the detention should be viewed not only from a legal but also from a political perspective.

Lawyer Robert Amsterdam accused the Georgian government of abusing international legal mechanisms and stated that Bachiashvili is the target of political persecution by Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Theories surrounding Bachiashvili’s arrest

Media reports suggest that the Georgian government may have signed a secret agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Allegedly, in exchange for Bachiashvili’s extradition, Tbilisi agreed to support the UAE’s candidate for Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization.

This theory followed a recent scandal — just days earlier, the Georgian government had withdrawn its support for the reappointment of the organisation’s current head, Zurab Pololikashvili. At the time, rumours circulated that Georgian Dream had “traded” its longtime ally Pololikashvili for someone else.

The Guardian interview: Ivanishvili, voodoo, and more

A few days before his arrest, Giorgi Bachiashvili gave an interview to the British newspaper The Guardian, in which he claimed that intelligence services from two countries had warned him of an order for his assassination — allegedly to be carried out by groups operating out of the North Caucasus.

“For over a decade, Bachiashvili worked with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the secretive billionaire and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, widely regarded as the de facto leader of Georgia,” the article states. The Guardian also notes that in December of last year, the United States imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili for “undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic future in favour of Russia.”

For security reasons, Bachiashvili asked the outlet not to disclose his location. His story, despite being marked by personal grievance, offers a revealing portrait of Ivanishvili’s mindset. “He would sacrifice the country and its interests for the sake of his own comfort and safety,” said Bachiashvili of his former ally.

Opinion: “Ivanishvili wants to be the sole boss so that no one can turn to anyone else”

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Relationship with Bidzina Ivanishvili and Panama Papers

The article recounts how Giorgi Bachiashvili became Ivanishvili’s right-hand man. It details how Bachiashvili began working on real estate deals in Moscow for one of Ivanishvili’s companies — a position he obtained thanks to his mother, who was the ophthalmologist of Ivanishvili’s mother.

It was with Bachiashvili’s assistance that Ivanishvili sold his Russian assets prior to becoming Georgia’s prime minister.

The 2016 Panama Papers revealed that Ivanishvili had concealed his ownership of a company managed by the now-defunct Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca. The company’s activities were controversial. However, Bachiashvili told The Guardian that it was this very company that managed Ivanishvili’s $1.3 billion art portfolio, stored in New York and London. Bachiashvili was responsible for overseeing Lynden Management Ltd, a company linked to Mossack Fonseca.

“In 2022, fearing sanctions, Ivanishvili moved the artworks he had acquired to Georgia. To avoid import duties, property tax, and capital gains tax on the sale of these works, he passed the so-called ‘offshore law’. As a result, he stole around $400 million from Georgia,” Bachiashvili alleged.

Ivanishvili’s lawyer, in comments to The Guardian, denied Bachiashvili’s claims, calling them lies and adding that the use of offshore assets is not a crime.

Georgian businessman and former associate of Ivanishvili arrested in courtroom

Giorgi Chikvaidze has been accused of embezzling substantial amounts of money, but he claims the charges are a form of political persecution.

“Sultan and his servants”

According to Bachiashvili, the relationship between Ivanishvili and his prime ministers resembled that of “a cruel boss and a bunch of idiot employees.”

“I think I was the most frequent guest at Ivanishvili’s residence,” he said, adding that he regularly witnessed prime ministers, judges, the prosecutor general, and the interior minister coming and going. “Sometimes he yelled at them, sometimes he called them useless. It was like the relationship between a sultan and his servants.”

Ivanishvili’s lawyer dismissed these remarks as a baseless attempt to discredit the billionaire.

Ivanishvili is also known for his collection of exotic animals, including zebras and peacocks. According to Bachiashvili, he also keeps dolphins and sharks. The Guardian noted Ivanishvili’s passion for rare trees. “He has to own something in order to love it — that’s how his worldview works,” Bachiashvili explained.

He believes Ivanishvili is obsessed with the fear of death and subjects himself to all sorts of experimental procedures — from stem cell transplants to voodoo rituals. Bachiashvili claims Ivanishvili’s voodoo practitioner, Yulia Krushanova, lives with him.

The Guardian reports that Krushanova calls herself an anti-ageing specialist and is reportedly married to a Russian intelligence officer.

Ivanishvili’s lawyer rejected Bachiashvili’s claims about Krushanova as absurd: “I can assure you no doctor lives with Ivanishvili and no experiments are being conducted on him.” Krushanova herself did not comment to the British outlet.

Talks of “Georgia’s involvement in war” and fallout

Bachiashvili told The Guardian how Ivanishvili began speaking about Georgia’s potential “involvement in the war [with Russia]” — a narrative that was later echoed publicly by senior figures in the Georgian Dream party.

“He told me that the whole Credit Suisse story wasn’t really about Credit Suisse, but rather that foreign forces (the Americans) were trying to transfer him money in exchange for Georgia joining the war against Russia.

Sometimes he’d talk to me for 30–40 minutes, especially when I was in the U.S. He shared his thoughts on the war. He said he’s the kind of person who would never obey such orders — even with a gun to his head.

I wondered why this man was calling me for 40 minutes a day to talk about it. Then I realised he thought our calls were being monitored. Sometimes he’d say: ‘Tell your friends this is what I think,’” Bachiashvili recounted, adding that until 2022, Ivanishvili held the illusion that Georgia could join the EU under his shadow rule — but later it became clear the EU would not accept Georgia under such a system.

Bachiashvili believes this was the turning point that led Ivanishvili to shift toward Russia. Ivanishvili’s lawyer dismissed the claim as baseless, noting that it was during Ivanishvili’s time in power that Georgia gained EU candidate status.

The former head of the Co-Investment Fund says his relationship with Ivanishvili worsened after the war in Ukraine began, when Bachiashvili openly expressed support for Ukraine.

According to him, Ivanishvili even phoned him over his pro-Ukraine posts on Instagram: “It was the first time he was angry. He yelled and threatened me. The main message was: ‘You’d better shut up and know your place.’” Ivanishvili’s lawyer denies such a conversation ever took place.

The Guardian article also details how a cryptocurrency deal between Ivanishvili and Bachiashvili led to their fallout and subsequent legal prosecution.

Detention and threats

Bachiashvili told The Guardian that a Georgian State Security Service officer informed him that Ivanishvili had threatened to have him killed in prison. Ivanishvili’s lawyer dismissed the claim as “tabloid-level nonsense.”

Bachiashvili said that the decision to leave Georgia had been difficult: “I left everything behind and didn’t know if I would make it, but I knew for certain that prison meant death for me.”

According to him, after charges were brought against him in Georgia, both his Georgian and Russian passports were confiscated. When the latter expired, he was able to renew it in Russia without issue. He used that passport to cross the border into Armenia and then flew to Qatar. His whereabouts after that remain unknown.

Bachiashvili said he was warned that a kill order had been issued. He does not believe it came directly from Ivanishvili:

“I fear it might have come from intelligence services or other forces in a certain country that want to weaken Ivanishvili. If they succeed in framing him for my murder, it would destroy his chances of any meaningful dialogue with the U.S. and tighten the grip foreign powers have on him.”

Bachiashvili believes that Ivanishvili may have come to see him as a Western spy, and that’s why he turned against him. “For Ivanishvili, holding onto power is existential. For him, the fight for it is literally a fight for survival.”

Georgia sees surge in art imports in January 2025, likely linked to Ivanishvili’s sanctions evasion

At the beginning of the year, Georgia imported art objects worth $480,658,330.

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