War of words between Azerbaijan, US Embassy in Baku
Azerbaijan officials have criticised a statement from the US Embassy in Azerbaijan, leading to further accusations from both sides.
Azerbaijan officials have criticised a statement from the US Embassy in Azerbaijan, leading to further accusations from both sides.
USAID Administrator Samatha Power has announced that the US will allocate $20 million for Armenia to bolster cyber, border, and energy security. The new allocation came just weeks after USAID more than doubled its five-year aid package to Armenia. The announcement came on Wednesday, during a Democracy Delivers Initiative event organised by Power and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in partnership with the Ford Foundation. ‘Now I am pleased to take this moment to announce that working w
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has more than doubled its five-year aid package to Armenia, from $120 million to $250 million. The Armenian government approved the amendment of the development cooperation grant agreement on Thursday. The move comes as Armenia seeks closer ties with the West as its relations with Russia continue to plummet. According to the agreement, the additional money will go to improving governance, civil participation in democracy, and improving
The speaker of the Georgian parliament has criticised the US aid agency, USAID, for funding ‘propaganda against the Georgian Church’ and ‘financing religious intolerance’. On Saturday, Shalva Papuashvili also accused ‘so-called civil activists’ and ‘media belonging to the [opposition parties United] National Movement and Lelo’ of attacking the Georgian Orthodox Church. Papuashvili was referring to criticism of the Church for its handling of a scandal surrounding an icon that featured Jose
Abkhazia’s Foreign Ministry has introduced sweeping new restrictions on foreign aid, including banning USAID funding, funding of media, as well as projects aiming to establish contacts across the line of conflict. Thursday’s announcement was attributed in part to a US Agency for International Development (USAID) document reportedly describing Abkhazia as ‘the occupied territory of Georgia’ and declaring its aim to ‘restore Georgia’s territorial integrity’. The same text was also referred to
Abkhazia’s president has tightened restrictions on international organisations after the authorities criticised USAID for making anti-Russia sentiments. In a decree on Monday, President Aslan Bzhaniya amended a previous presidential decree on the implementation of projects by international organisations in Abkhazia. The amendment would oblige international organisations operating in Abkhazia to fully disclose their budgets and expenses. Additionally, international organisations must disclose
Georgia’s Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has criticised international organisations for allegedly paying fines imposed on protesters, accusing them of seeking to ‘incite civil strife’. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Papuashvili criticised international organisations, likely in reference to the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), for paying the fines of ‘lawbreakers’ — people detained at protests in Georgia — ‘which can be understood by extremist groups as a carte blanche for