Today's news: Beijing into British MoD data; Some Chinese provinces open up to flexible working to encourage motherhood; In the Philippines inflation is higher among poor families and in the suburbs; Putin will meet Armenian President Pašinyan to ‘frankly’ address differences.
The Armenian National Assembly held an extraordinary closed-door session, requested by opposition parties, to discuss border demarcation procedures in the disputed territories. Baku now insists on the 'restitution' of eight villages in the Tavowš region, while Yerevan claims that Azerbaijan has occupied 'all or part' of 31 of its localities.
Pašinyan 'preaches' using psalms and gospel images to defend his policy. Karekin II and the clergy reply that his task is to 'heal the wounds of his people who have suffered great losses'. Behind the clash is the wound of the renunciation of Nagorno Karabakh while tensions with Azerbaijan have risen again.
In early March 2024, the two foreign ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Hakan Fidan met in Antalya, declaring their readiness for a complete re-establishment of diplomatic relations. Armenians look to Turkey to limit the influence of the Russians, while Erdogan cultivates the ambition to act as a bridge between East and West.