The Region in Brief

Armenia

Amnesty International’s 2024 global report cites Armenia’s significant challenges in integrating over 100,000 displaced residents from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. The report notes instances when freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly were curtailed, with journalists and environmental defenders facing threats, and police using unlawful force against peaceful protesters. While amendments to domestic violence laws have provided increased protection to survivors, discrimination against LGBTI individuals persists.

On April 26, Armenian Border Guard Day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the village of Kirants to address local concerns amid the ongoing border demarcation with Azerbaijan. He commended the role of border guards and stated that steps are being taken to increase their capabilities. Following the visit, Pashinyan posted on Facebook: “Everyone who wants to see what the Real Armenia ideology is practically about, please visit Kirants.”

Azerbaijan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Azerbaijan from May 7 to 11, where he will meet President Ilham Aliyev and leaders of the local Jewish community. Although the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, his visit to Azerbaijan poses no risk of arrest, as Azerbaijan is not a member of the ICC. Israel ranks among Azerbaijan’s top 10 trading partners, with bilateral trade up 85% over 2021, according to Azerbaijan’s Economy Ministry. More than 90 Israeli companies operate in the country, and about a dozen have expressed interest in redevelopment projects in the ethnically cleansed region of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.

Iran

On April 26, a massive explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port resulted in at least 70 deaths and over 1,200 injuries. The port is a critical component of Iran’s trade infrastructure, including exports to the  South Caucasus. Disruptions may delay progress on the North-South Transport Corridor, which Iran, Armenia and India have sought to develop as a counterbalance to routes dominated by Azerbaijan and Turkey. As investigations continue, Iranian authorities have acknowledged safety failures, but have yet to confirm the exact cause of the explosion.

Turkey

Turkey and Italy have agreed to deepen defense industry collaboration and increase bilateral trade, setting a new annual trade target of 40 billion euros. The agreement includes a key unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) initiative between Italy’s Leonardo and Turkey’s Baykar, signaling Ankara’s growing strategic cooperation with European partners. At the Rome summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the importance of this alliance, stating, “We will continue to strengthen our defense industry cooperation with Italy, which has made significant progress, with new partnerships and projects.”

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Lilly Torosyan

Editor

Lilly Torosyan is editor of the Armenian Weekly and a member of the Armenian Nutmegger community. (That’s Connecticut nutmegs by way of Sasun walnuts). Her writing focuses on the confluence of identity, cultural continuity and language – especially within the global Armenian communities. She previously served as the assistant project manager at h-pem, an Armenian cultural platform launched by the Hamazkayin Central Executive Board, and a freelance writer in Armenia.

Latest posts by Lilly Torosyan (see all)

• May 1: A date etched in labor, legacy and the printed word - May 1, 2025
• The Region in Brief - April 30, 2025
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