Armenia-EU Pivot: Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract won 49.8% in parliamentary elections, a result seen as a referendum on moving away from Russia and toward the West, with Pashinyan framing it as a “historic victory” tied to peace and regional cooperation. Russia Pressure Claims: International observers and Armenia’s opposition alleged “unprecedented” Russian pressure and interference, while Russia denied Western involvement. South Caucasus Connectivity: Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Georgia reaffirmed strategic ties in Istanbul’s trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, signing the Istanbul Declaration and highlighting the Middle Corridor, Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as trade and energy lifelines. Rail Boost: The BTK railway’s modernization was marked as a new phase for Eurasian connectivity, with freight capacity projected to rise fivefold to 5 million tons annually. Sovereign Finance Watch: Fitch affirmed Azerbaijan’s BBB- rating with a stable outlook, citing strong external buffers, low public debt and SOFAZ-linked energy windfalls. EU Partnership Talks: The EU and Azerbaijan advanced negotiations on a new strategic partnership agreement, with the EU calling Azerbaijan its largest trading partner and investor. Customs & Trade Facilitation: WCO and JICA completed risk-management training and a time-release study program for Central Asia and the Caucasus to improve Middle Corridor border efficiency. Media Rights Concern: Independent journalist Afgan Sadigov was reportedly forcibly taken to Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office after deportation from Georgia, raising fresh concerns for press freedom.