Azerbaijan has been demanding the return of the villages as a condition for a peace agreement after more than three decades of conflict, mostly centred on the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The preliminary agreement involves the villages of Baghanis Ayrum, Asagi Eskipara, Heyrimli and Kizilhacili, according to the statement. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought several bloody wars … Read more
Venice is commemorating its most famous son, Marco Polo, with a major exhibition to mark the 700th anniversary of his death. The show, which opened in early April, features excavated finds, maps and books, and can be seen in the Doge’s Palace until September 29. It also includes loans from countries that the merchant from … Read more
With more than 1,100 employees, the Limours factory tests the radars’ antennas in blue-walled rooms designed to muffle echoes, before assembling them in a large area with a French flag and pictures of Ground Masters in action. Security is tight: An officer checks phones and pictures taken by visitors before they leave to make sure … Read more
Addressing the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese island province of Hainan, Russian deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk said the Kremlin and Beijing had discussed the possibility of “improving connectivity” between the initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led effort to create an EU-like common market. China-Russia ties set to deepen with … Read more
Azerbaijan has reported Armenia is building up military equipment along the border, publishing footage that purports to show unarmored transport vehicles lining up close to the frontier. The claims have been denied by Armenia but shared widely in Russian state media, while Moscow has accused the West of attempting to “drag the South Caucasus into … Read more
“We will make investments to strengthen Armenia’s economy and society, making them more robust and stable in the face of shocks,” she added, with funds being allocated for electrification and new renewable energy projects. The move comes as Armenia works to cut ties with its former ally, Russia, which owns much of its energy network … Read more
Armenia is considering applying to join the European Union, its Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday. In a television interview with Turkish channel TRT on the sidelines of a diplomatic gathering in Antalya, Turkey, Mirzoyan said Armenia is seeking to get closer to the West amid worsening relations with Russia. “New opportunities are largely … Read more
Meet the couple who have been travelling non-stop for 15 years, visiting a total of 85 countries to date – and find out how they’ve financed their adventures without using the bank of mum and dad. Lauren Winslow-Llewelyn, 34, and Craig Hubbard, 41, have shared their non-stop travel approach to life – valuing time over … Read more
Tensions came to a head in September when Azerbaijan launched an offensive to retake the Yerevan-backed breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, sparking an exodus of its 100,000 Armenians. Moscow had stationed a peacekeeping force in the region that abandoned its positions ahead of the assault. Days before that, Pashinyan told POLITICO that Moscow’s mission had failed … Read more
While the European Parliament was unable to send a delegation to monitor polling stations as it has in previous years, the chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, Grigory Karasin, told local media the polls were being organized effectively and could even act as a model for Russia’s own presidential election later this … Read more
