The Region in Brief

Armenia 10 Armenian Apostolic bishops who recently met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have issued a formal call for the resignation of Catholicos Karekin II. In a statement, the bishops announced that they will visit the Holy See of Etchmiadzin on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. to press for the Catholicos’s departure. The timing coincides with evening liturgies, during which the bishops would normally participate in church services. The announcement was first published by Haykakan Zhamanak, a media outlet reportedly affiliated with Prime Minister Pashinyan’s family. A separate initiative among priests opposing Karekin II, named Barenorogum ("Transformation”), has also been launched to collect citizen signatures demanding the Catholicos’s resignation. According to Hraparak, the petition has so far gathered only 369 signatures worldwide, including supporters in Brussels, Paris and the United States. In response, opposition parties have called on citizens, supporters of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the broader public to attend the evening liturgy at the Holy See of Etchmiadzin. Artsakh Judicial proceedings against philanthropist and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan have concluded in Baku, according to Azerbaijani media reports. During the most recent court session, the parties stated they had no objections to ending the evidentiary phase of the trial and moving to closing arguments. Vardanyan’s court-appointed lawyer submitted two motions during the session, both of which were rejected. Azerbaijani media did not provide details about the motions. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18. Azerbaijan Azerbaijan and Turkey have formalized a memorandum aimed at strengthening mutual military security and deepening defense cooperation, underscoring the strategic partnership between the two countries. According to Arzu Naghiyev, chair of the Milli Majlis Committee on Defense, Security and Anti-Corruption, the agreement is intended to enhance cooperation in the defense sector to safeguard the security, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of both states. Naghiyev noted that the memorandum reinforces bilateral coordination in military security and provides a framework for expanding joint military exercises, advancing military education and strengthening cooperation in the defense industry. The document consists of eight provisions outlining mechanisms for practical collaboration. Under the agreement, both parties commit to providing mutual military assistance in the event of armed aggression against either state, in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which affirms the right to individual and collective self-defense. Any such assistance would be provided at the request of the affected party and in accordance with each country’s national legislation. Iran Iran’s Supreme Leader’s senior adviser on international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, has voiced strong opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for the Caucasus, describing it as a serious threat to Iran’s national security. Velayati made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Armenia’s ambassador to Iran, Grigor Hakobyan. He said that the so-called "Trump Caucasus plan” is effectively no different from the proposed Zangezur corridor, which Tehran has consistently opposed. According to Velayati, the initiative would create conditions for a NATO presence north of Iran, posing significant security risks to Iran’s northern regions as well as southern parts of Russia. He argued that the project is essentially the same initiative under a different name, now being advanced through the entry of U.S. companies into Armenia. Velayati further accused the United States of using economic engagement as a pretext for expanding its military and security footprint in the region. Drawing on past experience, he said Washington often begins with ostensibly economic projects in sensitive regions, which gradually evolve to include military and security dimensions. He warned that any expanded U.S. presence near Iran’s borders would have serious security implications, reaffirming Tehran’s firm opposition to initiatives it views as altering the regional balance in the South Caucasus. Russia Russia has expressed readiness to hold consultations with Armenia regarding the parameters of the so-called "Trump Route” initiative and Moscow’s potential involvement in the project, according to Mikhail Kalugin, director of the Fourth Department for CIS Countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Kalugin explained the details of the Armenia-United States project have yet to be fully examined, adding that Russia is open to discussions with its Armenian counterparts on both the initiative’s framework and the scope of possible Russian participation. He said there are "sufficient grounds” for such consultations. According to the Russian official, the initiative appears to involve a segment of a transport route previously agreed upon within a trilateral working group. He pointed out that South Caucasus Railways, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, holds the concession to manage Armenia’s railway network, and that the region relies on Russian-operated rail infrastructure. Kalugin added that much of the proposed route would fall within areas of responsibility of Russian border forces. He also highlighted Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, emphasizing that regional connectivity projects cannot realistically proceed without Russian involvement. Turkey Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan are approaching the signing of a peace treaty, underscoring Ankara’s support for regional stabilization efforts in the South Caucasus. Speaking at the 16th Ambassadors’ Conference in Ankara, Erdogan said that Turkey, through its dialogue with Azerbaijan, is simultaneously advancing the process of normalizing relations with Armenia. Erdogan indicated that Ankara plans to take "symbolic steps” toward normalization beginning early next year, suggesting a gradual but tangible shift in Turkey–Armenia relations alongside broader regional developments. In parallel remarks, the Turkish president highlighted the strategic significance of the Nakhichevan Agreement, describing it as a turning point for the Turkic world. He noted that cooperation among Turkic states was further elevated at the 2021 Istanbul Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, where collaboration across political, economic and cultural spheres reached an unprecedented level.

The Region in Brief

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Hoory Minoyan

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Hoory Minoyan

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