Today, an exchange of prisoners of war took place on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. 2 Azerbaijani and 32 Armenian servicemen were released.

Georgia's refusal to grant candidate status for EU membership will mean its defeat and Russia's victory. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili stated this in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She explained that depriving Georgia of its status would cause satisfaction among the Russian authorities, and disappointment among Georgians.

A meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union and the ministerial of the Eastern Partnership countries was held in Brussels. As the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell noted, Georgia is moving towards EU membership, and the situation in Armenia requires strong support.

The end of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and the transfer of territories to Azerbaijan were inevitable. This was stated by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. According to him, the current government inherited the negotiating situation in which Yerevan found itself in 2016 (then the head of state was President Serzh Sargsyan).

If a peace agreement with Armenia is not signed, it will be bad for the entire South Caucasus, which must be protected from any risks. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated this in an interview with Euronews TV channel.

Germany welcomes the bold step taken by Azerbaijan and Armenia, which creates confidence on the path to a just and lasting peace between the two countries. German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann wrote about this on his Twitter account.

Azerbaijan sent Ukraine another batch of humanitarian aid, which includes 551 thousand meters of electrical cables and 6 complete transformer substations. A convoy of 20 trucks was sent from Sumgayit.

The head of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has appointed early presidential elections for February 7, 2024. They were supposed to take place in 2025. The reason for the date change is not specified.

Georgia expects clear recommendations and decisions from NATO on its path to joining the bloc. The country has long demonstrated itself as a member of the alliance through its actions and contributions to security issues. This was stated by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili at a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission in Belgium.

Russian tour operators can receive benefits for organizing tours to CIS countries. Georgia is also among the countries friendly to Russians.