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Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Iran’s top security official warns that any geopolitical change in the Caucasus will destabilize the region and escalate the crisis there. Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian made the comments in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart in Tehran. Ahmadian said Iran has a principled and immutable policy of cooperation and interaction with neighbors and creation of a region free of tension and conflict. He said candid and constructive talks between regional countries will pave the ground for sustainable security, balanced development, and peace for nations. For his part, Armen Grigoryan, hailed Iran’s effective role in establishing peace and security in the region and called for Tehran to continue such contribution. Azerbaijan recently took control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region following a swift military operation. The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but was predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians, who have now fled to Armenia.

Russia-Ukraine war

The European Union has pledged more military aid for Ukraine despite Russia’s repeated warnings about the consequences of arms supplies to Kiev. The bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, was speaking in Kiev after meeting with newly-appointed Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. He said the bloc’s military support for Ukraine has reached a figure of 25 billion euros. He also reacted to a stopgap funding bill passed by the US Congress that excludes any new aid for Ukraine. Borrell called on US lawmakers to reconsider their decision to omit financial support for Ukraine. The stopgap budget bill was passed to halt a federal government shutdown. The US has been leading a coalition of Western states arming Ukraine since the beginning of its war with Russia in February 2022. It has provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid so far. Russia has repeatedly warned that the influx of Western weapons will only prolong the war and add to the suffering of Ukrainian people.

DPRK-IAEA tensions

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has denounced the UN nuclear watchdog for joining a US-led pressure campaign and approving a resolution over its nuclear programs. In a statement, Pyongyang’s Ministry of Nuclear Power lashed out at the resolution adopted Friday at a conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency that calls for the DPRK to curb its nuclear activities. The ministry said the resolution is a result of conspiracy by the United States and its allies. It added the DPRK’s status as a nuclear-weapon state is irreversible. The ministry said the move shows their sinister intention to cover up their criminal acts of seriously threatening the international nuclear nonproliferation system and justify their hostile policy toward the DPRK.

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