China's Xi, Russia's Putin praise ties at Beijing talks, with energy in focus
Chinese President Xi Jinping&...
The UN has welcomed a U.S.-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, calling it a major step toward regional stability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, brokered by the U.S. and signed in Washington, DC. He called the deal a crucial move toward reducing tensions and achieving peace in eastern DRC and the broader Great Lakes region.
Guterres also commended the roles played by Qatar, African Union mediator Faure Gnassingbe, and regional blocs such as the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community.
He urged both parties to fully implement the agreement and uphold UN Security Council resolution 2773 (2025), especially the cessation of hostilities. The UN, including its MONUSCO peacekeeping mission, pledged continued support for the deal’s implementation in collaboration with regional and international partners. The decades-long conflict has displaced over 7.8 million people, according to the UN.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Passenger rail services between Baku and Tbilisi are expected to resume in 2026, after being suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional border restrictions.
Tajik scientists have warned that glaciers in the Pamir Mountains are melting at an alarming rate, including in high-altitude areas previously considered relatively stable, following the country’s first direct winter glacier measurements since independence.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has published an open letter questioning the EU’s democratic credibility, in what may be the clearest sign yet of Georgia’s deepening political and diplomatic rupture with Brussels.
Amid shifting global supply chains and rising geopolitical competition over trade corridors, attention is increasingly turning to the strategic role of transit states linking Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Europe and the Middle East.
Kyrgyzstan has suspended 50 locally registered companies over what authorities described as “high sanctions risk” operations, in the clearest sign yet that Bishkek is responding to growing European scrutiny over alleged sanctions circumvention linked to Russia.
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