The Region in Brief

Armenia

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were formalized on November 24 through the signing of a protocol. The agreement was executed in Abu Dhabi by Karen Grigoryan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the UAE, and Sultan bin Abdullah Al-Angari, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UAE.

Artsakh

Vahram Balayan, the head of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic, has highlighted the crucial need to maintain the state institutions of Artsakh. He stressed that these institutions are essential to protect the interests of Artsakh Armenians and can contribute to the return of forcibly displaced individuals. Balayan criticized recent claims by Armenian authorities that Artsakh’s institutions should not function due to security concerns.

Azerbaijan

Defense Ministers from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia are in Baku for a tripartite meeting, discussing regional security, defense collaboration and future plans. Prior to this, they held separate talks between Azerbaijan-Georgia, Azerbaijan-Turkey and Georgia-Turkey. As a result of this meeting, the defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Georgia signed the 2024 bilateral military cooperation program, underscoring their commitment to enhanced collaboration in the coming years.

Georgia

The border crossing near Verin Lars has become a bottleneck for more than 1,700 Armenian trucks seeking passage through the Upper Lars border crossing, causing extensive delays on both the Georgian and Russian sides. Vahan Hakobyan, the customs attaché of the Armenian Embassy in Russia, stated that approximately 800 trucks are currently queued on Georgian territory, while an additional 900 trucks await clearance on the Russian side. The Russian government has said that it is blocking the import of food products from Armenia due to safety concerns.

Iran

Spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanani declared that the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan stands at a positive level. Kanani emphasized that there exists a developing partnership and communication in political, economic and military aspects between Iran and Azerbaijan. Kanani further highlighted that both nations are committed to advancing these objectives through mutual determination.

Turkey

Turkey has initiated the NUSRET-2023 Invitation Military Drill, a multinational exercise involving units from various countries focusing on mine warfare training and interoperability. The exercise, held in Turkey’s Canakkale province and the Gulf of Saros, aims to enhance collaborative capabilities among participating nations in mine warfare. Units from Turkey’s Naval and Air Force Commands, Coast Guard Command and representatives from 15 countries, including Azerbaijan, are engaged in exchanging expertise and knowledge concerning the detection and safe clearance of mines.

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Hoory Minoyan

Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.