Rosselkhoznadzor has imposed a ban on the import of dairy products from Armenia following inspections of several of the country's facilities. The Russian agency stated that the inspections revealed violations related to the production of goods destined for the Russian market.

The European Union has approved its 21st sanctions package against Russia. For the first time, the restrictions target the oil terminal and refinery complex in Kulevi, Georgia, as well as 14 cryptocurrency platforms, including some registered in Georgia.

State Duma Deputy Alexander Tolmachev sharply criticized Azerbaijan's plans to develop a strategic dialogue with Germany, effectively calling into question Baku's right to an independent foreign policy course. The reason for this was President Ilham Aliyev's announcement of plans to take relations with Berlin to a new level.

While Armenia's attention is focused on the work of the new parliament and disputes over parliamentary mandates, processes are unfolding outside the country that could have a far greater impact on its future. Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan has drawn attention to this.

Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the opposition party "For Georgia," supported the European Union's intention to press the new Syrian authorities to revoke their recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He stated that Brussels' position on the self-proclaimed republics is particularly important given the "treacherous silence of the Georgian government regarding the ongoing de facto annexation of the Tskhinvali region."

Ilham Aliyev arrived in Berlin for an official visit at the invitation of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. During the visit, he held talks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Chancellor. Energy was a key topic of the discussions. The parties also addressed transport corridors, economic cooperation, and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the deaths of at least 9,450 military personnel from the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts have been publicly confirmed. These figures come from *Kavkazsky Uzel* (Caucasian Knot), which maintains an independent tally based on public announcements from government bodies, security agencies, and other official sources.

Israeli authorities decided not to put the issue of recognizing the "Armenian genocide" to a vote in the Knesset following intervention by Azerbaijan. According to *Maariv* and *Haaretz*, the move was prompted by concerns regarding strategic relations with Baku, a key partner for Israel in the security and energy sectors.

Chechnya's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, called for military action to expand to NATO countries providing military aid to Ukraine. He stated on his Telegram channel that Russia should "open fire" on countries supplying Kyiv with weapons, intelligence, and other support.

Azerbaijan continues to strengthen its position as a major supplier of natural gas to Europe. Slovakia may be the next country to replace Russian gas with Azerbaijani gas. According to Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, Bratislava expects to purchase approximately 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Baku starting in 2027.