Caucasus in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Caucasus in September 2026, the most covered political story was the deepening of ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Baku on September 14 to 16, and he and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov discussed cooperation including within NATO. Türkiye said it welcomes progress toward lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said normalization with Armenia has progressed. On September 26, Bayramov said a de facto peace has been achieved between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Baku also hosted a meeting of Security Council secretaries of the Organization of Turkic States on September 17. On September 23, Azerbaijan pardoned a French national, Martin Ryan, after the EU lifted sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, and pardoned 20 other people. US senators urged Washington to press for the release of what they described as more than 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan.
In Armenia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Vladimir Putin on September 1, with Armenia's EU ambitions and tensions with the Eurasian Economic Union on the agenda. Pashinyan said a Russian military base is not a vital necessity, that Armenia would not object if Russia withdrew it, and that Russia will not finance Armenia's preparations for EU membership. He defended the arrest of Khachatryan, called the controversy a disgrace, and received the Hessian Peace Prize in Germany on September 18. Armenia's high court found obligations under the TRIPP transit route constitutional ahead of a ratification vote. The ruling party won municipal elections, and European observers criticized the annulment of results at three polling stations. Armenia marked 35 years of independence on September 21. Armenia and Azerbaijan officials held a phone call after statements about Gandzasar monastery, and a visit by diplomats to Karabakh drew protests from Armenia.
In Georgia, Georgian Dream said it wants major opposition parties banned. On September 19, Putin congratulated Alan Kambolov on his election as president of South Ossetia; Georgia, the EU and the United States did not recognize the vote. A third Georgian security chief resigned within 13 months.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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