The Caucasus Neighborhood is a weekly roundup of the important stories from the past week across the region. This time we look at the results of the mayoral election in Yerevan, the tensions after deadly car bombs in Turkey on the border with Syria, and the selection by the Georgian Dream coalition of its candidate for the October presidential candidate.
This year, the Yerevan Wine Days festival is being held on June 7-9 on Moskovyan, Saryan, and Tumanyan streets. During the event, some 700 types of the best wines from Armenian vineyards will be presented. The yearly wine festival is branding itself this time with a new concept, based on the centuries-old history and culture of Armenian wine amphoras.
Heavy rains in northern Armenia caused deadly floods last week. Overflowing rivers in Lori and Tavush regions destroyed bridges and roads. Four people died, and 443 were evacuated from flooded areas. The Ministry of Environment reported that in just one weekend, these regions received about half of their average monthly rainfall. This caused rivers to reach levels not seen in 65 years. In Alaverdi, the Sanahin and Akhtala Station bridges were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving residents cut off. CivilNet traveled to northern Armenia to uncover the impact of the disaster on the residents.
Head of the European Union Mission to Armenia, Markus Ritter, leads a growing team of over a hundred border monitors and staff. They patrol Armenia’s more than 600-mile-long border with Azerbaijan as an impartial broker, observing the status on the ground. Though the unarmed mission hopes to build confidence between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the latter has reacted to it with hostility, and along with Russia has vilified its presence with baseless accusations. Despite it all, Ritter and his team continue their mission with an eye to a more peaceful future for the region.
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian At least seven people were injured, two seriously, in a blast late Thursday evening at a gas station outside of Yerevan. As of Friday morning, emergency workers had put out the fire, Armenia’s Interior Ministry confirmed. A liquified gas tank exploded just after 11 p.m. in the town of Abovyan along the highway to Lake Sevan, sending clouds of smoke and lighting up the night sky over Yerevan. As of Friday morning, the gas supply to Abovyan is not available for safety reasons, according to Gazprom Armenia. “Two of the victims hospitalized as a result of […]
In this discussion, defense expert Nele Loorents shares her expertise on the transformation of Estonia’s defense sector following independence from the Soviet Union. Drawing from her previous role in the Estonian defense ministry, Loorents analyzes the challenges the country faced and the radical yet successful reforms it undertook. She also examines how Estonia’s focus on digital technologies and innovation has strengthened its overall security posture, providing lessons for Armenia’s ongoing modernization efforts.
