In the international "2026 Happiness Index," Armenia ranked 89th out of 147 countries. Among the South Caucasus regions, it ranked ahead of Georgia (91st) and Azerbaijan (102nd). However, Armenia trailed several post-Soviet states, such as Lithuania (28th), Kazakhstan (33rd), and Russia (79th).
Since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, 2,853 citizens from 75 different countries have been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan.
Sheikh Allahshukur Pashazade, head of the Caucasus Muslim Board, commented on the sharp escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. The statement was made after the Eid prayer at the Tezepir Mosque in Baku, dedicated to Ramadan.
According to the latest report from Freedom House, an international organization that assesses freedoms and human rights, Georgia's freedom score declined by four points, dropping to 51 out of a possible 100. The main reasons cited for this deterioration were the large-scale anti-government protests that began in 2024 and continued into 2025.
The US State Department has expanded the list of countries whose citizens are required to post visa deposits when applying for B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas. Georgia is included in the updated list.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused his predecessors—former presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan—of concealing the truth about the Karabakh settlement from the Armenian people. At a briefing in Yerevan, the head of the Armenian government noted that all these politicians in opposition to the current government recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan but did not disclose this information to the public.
According to the international human rights organization Freedom House's "Freedom in the World 2026" report, authoritarian rule in Azerbaijan, centered around President Ilham Aliyev and his family, has continued to strengthen for two decades.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the issue of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as an internal problem for the country. He compared the current situation to moving to a new apartment, where threats are proclaimed instead of good neighborly relations, making life in the same environment unbearable.
Members of the US Senate and House of Representatives called on the US government to cooperate with its European partners to impose sanctions against the Georgian government. This statement followed the release of a critical OSCE report prepared under the Moscow Mechanism.
The 28th temporary plaque installed on the building where Anna Politkovskaya lived and was murdered was destroyed by unknown persons. Activists have placed a new plaque in its place—the 29th.
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, 28 Ukrainian drones were intercepted by air defense systems over the Stavropol Krai on the night of March 19. This incident is part of a larger attack, during which, according to the ministry, a total of 138 UAVs were shot down over various Russian regions, including Crimea, Krasnodar Krai, and Rostov Oblast.