The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, after a deadly shooting at Brown University.
Kyrgyzstan is increasingly being described as one of the fastest growing economies in Central Asia.
Armenia–NATO talks were held in Yerevan as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska to discuss cooperation and regional security in the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan has begun exporting oil products to Armenia, with the first shipment delivered on 18 December 2025. It marked a notable milestone in the peace process and efforts to deepen economic cooperation between the two long-time rivals.
A mass wedding brought together 203 grooms and 203 brides in the Zawayda area of the central Gaza Strip on 18 December. The ceremony was organised by the Turkish Ribat Association.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up visits to Belarus and Russia during which he held high-level talks on closer bilateral relations and major regional developments.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Yerevan to participate in the Armenia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting, as both countries review economic cooperation.
As Türkiye seeks to play a more active diplomatic role in the South Caucasus, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's “symbolic steps” in the region are becoming a point of focus.
Petroleum products are being transported by rail from Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time in decades. The move is hailed as a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the long-time rivals.
Emirati investment has become a central element of Azerbaijan’s renewable energy ambitions, prompting fresh focus on whether recent high-level visits were also aimed at accelerating a shift beyond oil and gas.
A major financing agreement has been signed for the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, a flagship cross-border infrastructure project expected to reshape transport connectivity across Central Asia.
Uzbekistan has increased up electricity exports to Tajikistan as part of wider regional efforts to stabilise energy supplies during periods of seasonal shortage and reduced water availability.
Iran has summoned the ambassador of Republic of Cyprus Petros Nacouzis over remarks made by his country regarding Iran’s territorial integrity.
Kyrgyzstan has joined the TRACECA multilateral permit system, a move analysts say will deepen regional integration, cut transport costs and ease cross-border trade, opening new routes to Europe and the Black Sea.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is visiting the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, 17 December, as the two countries seek to further strengthen their partnership.
Across Iraq’s wheat belt, farmers are turning away from traditional river-fed irrigation as the Tigris and Euphrates shrink, replacing canals with wells, sprinklers and storage basins.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials following a one-day visit to Minsk on Monday 15 December ,where he met with Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenov.
Kazakhstan is considering deeper involvement in major gas projects in Turkmenistan, signalling interest in both upstream development and cross-border export infrastructure as the region searches for new energy routes and partnerships.
Azerbaijan has long understood the importance of fostering strong relations with its Central Asian neighbours as the country is strategically located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is driven by a need for strategic credibility and a tangible foreign policy success, according to a regional expert.
