As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
As Armenia and Azerbaijan edge closer to peace, AnewZ asked people in Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku: How will peace between the two nations affect the region? In Part 2 of our special report, citizens share their views on trade, trust, and the road ahead.
Across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, citizens are weighing the potential ripple effects of peace. Could it open doors to economic growth, or bring new challenges?
Tural Mammadli, Baku:
“…If Armenia opens the Zangezur corridor, it will create major trade routes linking the Silk Road, Central Asia and China through Azerbaijan to Türkiye and Europe. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan will benefit…”
Citizen, Tbilisi:
“I think it could bring more opportunities for travel, jobs, and trade across the South Caucasus. This peace could also make the region more stable, attracting new investment and opening the door to new relationships.”
From corridors to cooperation, many see peace as the key to unlocking regional development.
Marat, Yerevan:
“We need to communicate in order to develop. All republics should develop. In my view, dialogue is very important. There shouldn’t be any hostility.”
But others warn the political legacy of conflict still casts a long shadow.
David Matevosyan, Yerevan:
“It’s having a very negative impact — major powers are involved... there are no prospects for calm or a path toward stability in the region.”
“Puskuna” Giorgadze, Tbilisi:
“I believe it might not affect Georgia in a positive way... Now, it could mean that we’re no longer needed in the same way.”
Generational change may be the key to breaking the cycle.
Leyli Salayeva, Baku:
“I think maybe not our generation, but the next one will be free from these prejudices... I’d love to feel free and at ease wherever I go.”
Khachatur Armenakyan, Yerevan:
“War is a bad thing, very bad, very bad. No ordinary Azerbaijani, no ordinary Armenian wants war.”
Even with disagreements, some things unite both sides: a desire for normalcy, stability, and a more hopeful future.
Togrul, Baku:
“I see only positives, because peace always brings a good and positive impact — not just for both sides, but for the whole region.”
Lernik, Yerevan:
“Conflict is always harmful — peace is absolutely necessary. No one needs tension in the South Caucasus. Ever.”
From Tbilisi to Baku, and back to Yerevan, one message is clear: the region’s fate rests not only in treaties, but in trust, trade, and the shared will for change.
President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, in Baku, as the two countries look to deepen their strategic economic partnership.
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform, initiated by Azerbaijan, was held in Bonn, Germany this week.
Azerbaijan continues the process of evacuating Azerbaijani citizens and foreigners from Iran, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MFA), along with the embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the consulate general in Tabriz.
The official opening ceremony of the 'Azerbaijan' residential complex, constructed by Azerbaijan in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş, was held on Thursday and was attended by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s ultra-low-fare national airline, has officially launched flights from Gabala, adding a second Azerbaijani city to its growing network and becoming the only low-cost carrier to connect the region with Abu Dhabi.
A 32°C heatwave expected to grip England has been made a 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to a rapid scientific analysis released Thursday.
Kazakhstan’s flagship carrier, Air Astana, will temporarily suspend its flights from Atyrau to Dubai starting June 28, due to a significant increase in flight duration.
Several EU Member States have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to assist the departure of citizens due to the airspace closures in the Middle East. Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, Poland and Portugal have requested UCPM support to assist the departure of their nationals.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
In 19 EU countries, the share of renewable energy sources in net electricity generation decreased in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024. The largest drops were recorded in Greece (-12.4%), Lithuania (-12.0%) and Slovakia (-10.6%).
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 17th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the People's Republic of China on International Multimodal Transportation.”
Azerbaijan and Poland discussed closer cooperation in digital tax reforms and innovation during a high-level meeting held on the sidelines of the IOTA General Assembly in Baku.
President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, in Baku, as the two countries look to deepen their strategic economic partnership.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
The 19th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) is underway in St. Petersburg, Russia. The gathering, which brings together 41 news agencies from 33 countries, is being hosted by the TASS news agency as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
A 32°C heatwave expected to grip England has been made a 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to a rapid scientific analysis released Thursday.
Kazakhstan’s flagship carrier, Air Astana, will temporarily suspend its flights from Atyrau to Dubai starting June 28, due to a significant increase in flight duration.
Several EU Member States have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to assist the departure of citizens due to the airspace closures in the Middle East. Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece, Poland and Portugal have requested UCPM support to assist the departure of their nationals.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
In 19 EU countries, the share of renewable energy sources in net electricity generation decreased in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024. The largest drops were recorded in Greece (-12.4%), Lithuania (-12.0%) and Slovakia (-10.6%).
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