Regional Brief: Davitashvili Joins SOCAR Unit, Armenia-Turkey Trade Thaws, and Pre-Election Tensions Rise
This regional news brief from May 15, 2026, highlights significant political and economic developments in the South Caucasus. Former Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili has been appointed CEO of Italiana Petroli, recently acquired by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR. In logistics news, Russian wheat was transported to Armenia via Azerbaijan. Political tensions in Armenia are escalating ahead of elections, marked by a heated exchange where former President Robert Kocharyan insulted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Meanwhile, the US and EU welcomed the lifting of trade restrictions between Armenia and Turkey. A US delegation visited Armenia to advance the 'Trump Route' infrastructure project, discussing operational and legal issues with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan. Authorities arrested affiliates of tycoon Samvel Karapetyan for alleged electoral bribery. On the diplomatic front, Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed President Putin’s comments on Armenia’s Eurasian Economic Union membership, stating no immediate choice between the EAEU and EU ties is required. Additionally, vandalism at a church in Georgia prompted an investigation, and Catholicos Karekin II congratulated the new Georgian Orthodox Patriarch.
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