Day: February 3, 2026
On February 3, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan observed joint operational-tactical exercises “Peace Shield – 2026” held in Abu Dhabi with the participation of servicemen from the armed forces of the two countries, Azernews reports.
Abkhazia opposition leader backs president
In Abkhazia, one of the opposition leaders, Adgur Ardzinba, expressed support for President Badra Gunba.
However, he did so in such an ambiguous way that he later had to clarify his remarks.
Ardzinba himself ran for president in the 2025 election and was Gunba’s main rival, making it hard to suspect him of sympathy for the more successful candidate. Even so, in a public address he said he was ready to “stand alongside” Gunba.
“I am addressing you not as a politician or as a candidate, but as a citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia. In that capacity, I am ready to stand next to you and oppose any external or internal pressure, and to defend Abkhazia’s position at all levels,” the opposition figure wrote. Since losing the election, he has largely withdrawn from active politics.
Ardzinba also called for an end to internal disputes and mutual accusations, saying that in the current situation they are “an unacceptable luxury”.
The letter says there will always be forces, both inside Abkhazia and beyond its borders, for whom “personal ambition and private interests come before the interests of the people and the state”. According to Ardzinba, the government’s mission is precisely to protect the republic from such “vultures”.
This paragraph was misinterpreted by pro-government media, which claimed that the term “vultures” referred to part of the opposition led by MP Kan Kvarchia. As a result, Adgur Ardzinba felt compelled to clarify his remarks, once again addressing Badra Gunba directly.
Ardzinba said that certain forces have an interest in inflaming the domestic political situation in the republic. He identified these as figures who had lobbied for unpopular Abkhaz–Russian projects, which the opposition blocked and which ultimately led to the early resignation of former president Aslan Bzhania. Ardzinba said he was referring to these forces as “vultures”.
“They circle over our country in search of easy profit. And I am convinced that even today these forces are doing everything they can to set our people against each other and then take advantage of the situation,” he said.
The opposition figure stressed that his statement was meant as a signal to the president.
“If he is ready to defend the interests of all our people and of every individual citizen, then no matter what pressure is brought to bear on him, I and all my colleagues are ready to support him and stand alongside him — to preserve stability and prevent the negative scenario being pushed by these forces,” Adgur Ardzinba said.
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Abkhazia opposition leader backs president