On 19 October 2026, the State Council of Tatarstan approved the appointment of Colonel General Alexander Lapin as deputy prime minister of the republic. Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov signed the appointment decree the same day. Lapin had previously been appointed acting deputy prime minister on 29 September 2026.
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the threshold of peace for the first time since the restoration of their independence. This was announced by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, speaking in Austria at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. He spoke about the restoration work in Karabakh, the mine threat and the settlement of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. According to him, it is necessary to eliminate differences in three areas of the peace treaty. These disagreements relate to the illegal presence of the Armenian military on the territory of Azerbaijan (Karabakh), interference in the internal affairs of the country and obstacles to dialogue with the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region.
The minister also added that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenians into the political, legal and economic space of the country as equal citizens.