The Region in Brief

Azerbaijan/Turkey From January 20 to February 7, large-scale Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercises are taking place in the Kars region, just a few kilometers from Armenia’s border. The exercises are aimed at enhancing military operations in harsh winter conditions, simulating cold and challenging combat environments. Azerbaijani forces are participating with the 404th Special Forces Brigade and personnel from the 215th Brigade stationed in Nakhichevan. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has also announced that an operational meeting of the Ground Forces was held in occupied Stepanakert on January 21, under the leadership of Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov. The meeting was attended by senior military officials, including deputy ministers, commanders of the armed forces and heads of various military departments. The operational situation along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border was a primary focus of the discussions. Hasanov provided instructions to improve the combat performance of military units. Special attention was given to supporting units deployed in high-mountainous and difficult terrain areas, with an emphasis on improving the psychological training of personnel. The meeting concluded with a call to maintain quality enhancement of military operations and operational readiness. Iran At the Kremlin on January 17, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, marking a significant step in the strengthening of bilateral ties between Moscow and Tehran. The agreement elevates the relationship between Russia and Iran to a new level, while establishing a legal framework for the long-term development of their cooperation. It outlines an expansion of collaboration across various sectors, including defense, counterterrorism, energy, industry and beyond. Both nations have committed to enhancing cooperation in these areas, signaling a deeper and more diversified partnership in the years to come. Russia During a press briefing on January 21 in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking alongside Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to supporting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Lavrov stated, “we are deeply interested in ensuring that our fraternal peoples live in peace and good neighborly relations.” He highlighted Russia’s active role in the normalization of relations, emphasizing strategic ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Lavrov contrasted Russia’s approach with that of countries outside the South Caucasus, which, he said, seek to maintain tensions to advance their own strategic interests. Lavrov also addressed the resumption of talks between Moscow and Yerevan, which had been disrupted. “The communication between Moscow and Yerevan has been restored,” he said. “The talks were held in accordance with the agreements between our two countries’ leaders and were quite substantive.”

The Region in Brief

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Hoory Minoyan

This story is FREE for you...

Hoory Minoyan

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