Region

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova speaking at the official briefing on 24 October, has once again targeted the Western policies in and around Armenia. “The true aims of Washington and Brussels is not at all coming up with compromise and balanced resolutions but self-promotion and and attempt at expelling Russia from Transcaucasia,” the spokesperson said.

The Armenian Ministry of Defense is set to curtail the reservist training period from three months to 25 days. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan announced this on October 13, during the government session adding that instead such regular trainings will become mandatory for all citizens of Armenia liable to military service.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated Russia is using the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan to destabilize the situation in the Caucasus region. He said this during an interview with France 2 television. He added that it is a “destabilizing maneuver” by Russia.

Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan during his visit to Moscow on 10 October said that the CSTO is unable to respond promptly and effectively to aggression against one of its members.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed normalization of bilateral relations at the meeting in Prague on 6 October.

Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the meeting have agreed on the mutual recognition of territorial integrity of their countries and on dispatching of an EU civilian mission to the border areas.

Azerbaijan has returned 17 Armenian prisoners of war, the Armenian Defense Ministry reported on 4 October. According to the source the repatriation was implemented through US mediation.

Armenian National Assembly’s speaker Alen Simonyan at a news briefing in the Parliament on 4 October denied rumors on possible accession to the Russia-Belarus union or joining Russia. “Armenian independence, its sovereignty are not subjects of discussion,” he said.