Turkish, Azerbaijani Leaders Meet as Thousands Flee From Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia |
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in Azerbaijan today (Bloomberg) to meet with the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, as thousands of ethnic Armenians flee the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region following an Azerbaijani military operation last week. The two leaders are due to discuss the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as inaugurate a gas pipeline and discuss Erdoğan’s backing of a trade corridor in the region. The corridor route, advantageous to Turkey’s strategic trade goals, could further add to regional tensions as it would cross through southern Armenia. Though a cease-fire ended the military operation, many residents of Nagorno-Karabakh say they fear ethnic cleansing. Nearly five thousand had fled to Armenia (AP) by midday Monday, Armenia’s government said.
Armenia’s prime minister has blamed Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh for failing to prevent the recent hostilities and protect the ethnic Armenian population. Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Yuri Kim, U.S. Department of State Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, visited Armenia today to address humanitarian needs. |
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“The wave of refugees is expected to grow, as the 120,000-strong ethnic Armenian population of the fiercely independent south Caucasus region [of Nagorno-Karabakh] reels at the prospect of being fully absorbed into its historic enemy Azerbaijan,” the Financial Times’ Polina Ivanova and Max Seddon write.
“[Russia’s] interest in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been to preserve its role as the dominant regional power and not necessarily to guarantee peace,” the Newlines Institute’s Eugene Chausovsky writes for Foreign Policy.
This In Brief by CFR’s Abigail McGowan explains what to know about Azerbaijan’s pressure on Nagorno-Karabakh.
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Biden to Announce U.S. Relations With Two Pacific Nations |
The new U.S. diplomatic relations to officially recognize the Cook Islands and Niue come as (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a three-day summit this week with Pacific Island nations. This year’s summit, the second of its kind, will also focus on climate change, economic and sustainable development, health, and illegal fishing, the White House said.
U.S./China: Following a string of U.S. visits to China in recent weeks, the countries have established bilateral working groups (FT) on finance and the economy. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, will oversee the groups.
For Foreign Affairs, Yasheng Huang explores why China’s economic turmoil was inevitable.
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Reuters: Taliban Weighing U.S. Surveillance Plan |
Afghanistan’s Taliban government is considering installing a camera surveillance network in cities across the country that would repurpose a plan designed by the United States before its 2021 departure, Reuters reports. The Taliban have also met with Chinese technology giant Huawei over potential cooperation.
China/India: India’s sports minister canceled his appearance (Indian Express) at the China-hosted Asian Games this week in protest of China’s decision to deny accreditation cards to athletes from the region of Arunachal Pradesh, part of which Beijing claims (BBC).
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Middle East and North Africa |
U.S.-Backed Kurdish Forces Declare Curfew After Clashes in Eastern Syria |
The Syrian Democratic Forces declared curfews (AP) in several towns near the Iraqi border after clashes with Arab militia fighters, local media said. The Kurdish-led forces said the Syrian government incited the violence by allowing the militia fighters to enter the area.
Palestinian territories: Israeli forces killed two Palestinians (AFP) during a raid in the West Bank yesterday, the Palestinian health ministry said. Israel’s military said it was a counterterrorism operation.
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France to Withdraw Ambassador, Troops From Niger |
The French ambassador and several diplomats are returning to France immediately (AFP, France 24) and troops will be fully withdrawn by the end of the year, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday. Niger’s military leaders, who seized power in a July coup, celebrated the announcement.
Somalia/Uganda: The government of Somaliland said that it has no plans to discuss unification (Reuters) with Somalia after Uganda’s president said unification talks were in the works. The breakaway region of Somaliland declared itself independent from Somalia in 1991, but it is not internationally recognized. |
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Ukrainian Forces Reportedly Advance Along Southern Front |
Ukrainian forces have advanced against Russian defenses (Bloomberg) near the village of Verbove, Ukraine’s military said. The Institute for the Study of War said this move enabled Ukraine to make a “tactical breakthrough” in the region. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he plans to maintain Ukraine’s counteroffensive through the fall and winter.
On this episode of The President’s Inbox, CFR expert Max Boot dissects Ukraine’s counteroffensive efforts this year.
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Canadian House Speaker Apologizes After Homage to Fighter in Nazi Unit |
Speaker of the House Anthony Rota said he regretted his decision (CBC) to honor a Ukrainian veteran who fought in a Nazi unit in World War II during a visit by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Friday, saying that he had since become aware of more information about the man. Canada’s Prime Minister’s Office said the decision to honor the veteran was Rota’s alone and the apology was “the right thing to do.”
U.S./Cuba: An attacker launched two Molotov cocktails (Miami Herald) at the Cuban embassy in the United States shortly after Cuba’s leader traveled back to the island from attending the UN meetings in New York, the Cuban foreign ministry said. No one was harmed.
This Backgrounder details U.S.-Cuba relations.
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NASA Mission Returns With Asteroid Sample |
Seven years after it was launched, the mission returned yesterday (WaPo) with samples of an asteroid that researchers say has a roughly one in 2,700 chance of colliding with Earth in the year 2182. |
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