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🎙Video address by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 70th anniversary of Baikonur Space Centre (June 2, 2025) 💬 Mr. President Tokayev, Russian and Kazakh friends, employees and veteran workers of the Baikonur Space Centre. I extend my heartfelt greetings on this momentous occasion, the 70th anniversary of the legendary Baikonur Space Centre. It was on June 2, 1955, that a historic state decision marked the beginning of a unique rocket testing site in the Soviet Union – destined to become the world’s first spaceport. Just a decade after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the multiethnic Soviet nation, having endured immense tragedy and devastating losses, achieved the remarkable. The Soviet people not only rebuilt cities and towns from the ruins and ignited powerful economic and technological progress, but also took a bold leap into the future, launching visionary and ambitious plans that opened the path to space, to the stars. The creation of Baikonur, along with the entire space programme, stands as a true feat, a testament to courage, determination, and heroic spirit. We honour the monumental, selfless labour of the hundreds of thousands from all the republics of the Union who envisioned, designed, and built Baikonur, and who worked at the cosmodrome from its earliest days. <...> It was here, at Baikonur, that the countdown to a new era in human history began – where dreams took flight and became reality. From this very site, in 1957, the R-7 rocket carried the first artificial satellite into orbit, and on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin launched from Baikonur to become the first human to journey around the Earth in space. The history of Baikonur is rich with remarkable milestones. Among them are the pioneering flight of the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963; the launch of the world’s first manned orbital station, Salyut-1, in 1971; and the historic liftoff of the reusable spacecraft Buran in 1988. It was also from Baikonur that the Zarya module was launched in 1998, ushering in the construction of the International Space Station, which continues to operate in orbit to this day. Baikonur has witnessed more than 2,500 launches and has sent over 200 cosmonauts into orbit. From its launch pads, representatives of numerous countries have embarked on space missions, many of them scientists conducting groundbreaking experiments and advancing both fundamental and applied research. It is fitting that the space centre was named Baikonur, meaning “rich land” in Kazakh. Indeed, its contribution to international scientific and technological progress is immense, truly rich in every sense, and beyond measure. Baikonur remains one of the largest and most advanced spaceports in the world. With a workforce of around seven thousand, this versatile complex plays an active role in the space programmes of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and numerous other countries. 🇷🇺🤝🇰🇿 Baikonur also stands as a powerful symbol of the strategic partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Dozens of treaties and agreements have been signed between our nations, governing all aspects of the cosmodrome’s operations and the administration of the city of Baikonur. Baikonur stands as a vivid example of how cooperation and integration can serve the mutual interests of both Russia and Kazakhstan, enhancing their international standing and reinforcing their leadership in science, innovation, and various high-tech sectors. Russia will continue to make significant efforts to support the development of the city of Baikonur and to ensure the wellbeing of its residents, both Russian and Kazakh citizens. The active operation of the space centre and the creation of favourable conditions for its continued use remain among our top priorities. I wish you good health and continued success in advancing our national space industry and in strengthening the partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Once again, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on this memorable anniversary. Read in full #RussiaKazakhstan

❗️Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement on the beginning of Russia’s CSTO Presidency On January 1, 2026, Russia assumed the presidency of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO) and will hold it under the motto, Collective Security in a Multipolar World: Common Goal, Shared Responsibility. Together with our CSTO allies, we are joining forces to uphold our common approaches to resolving international security issues. The fundamental documents of the Organisation set forth the principles of peaceful co-existence of states, the priority of a political and diplomatic settlement, and compliance with the international law with the UN playing a leading role. This forms the foundation for working with our partners to forge mutually beneficial relations and to actively engage in shaping the contours of a future architecture of equal and indivisible security across the Eurasian space. The CSTO could become one of its pillars. We would like the Eurasian states to take responsibility for resolving security issues and determine the future of the continent themselves, without any outside interference. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation has emerged as a prominent and respected association of allied states, whose activities are not directed against anyone, do not contain any aggressive aspirations, and aim exclusively to maintain regional stability and ensure the wellbeing of its member states. Moreover, all decisions in the Organisation are made by consensus based on a balance of interests, and cooperation is based on the principles of respect for each other, good neighbourliness, genuine friendship and mutual support. 🤝Russia will ensure continuity in the development of main areas of cooperation, among other things, by continuing to work on implementing the initiatives of the presidency of the Kyrgyz Republic which has just finished. In view of geopolitical tension, we will strive to further consolidate CSTO member states, strengthen allied ties, and deepen coordination on key international matters. We will continue our policy of expanding the CSTO’s network of contacts with the Eurasian states and their integration associations. Our efforts will focus on effectively fulfilling the Organisation’s primary mission which consists of maintaining peace and stability in its area of responsibility, ensuring favourable conditions for safe development and prosperity of the CSTO member states. No one should have any doubts: we will not allow any chaos in our common home. We attach great importance to the development of the enforcement dimension in the Organisation’s work. There are plans to focus on building up the capabilities of the Collective Forces of the CSTO, equipping them with up-to-date and compatible weapons and equipment. The work will be structured in accordance with the nature of current and potential challenges, taking into consideration the experience of present-day armed conflicts. We will pay special attention to cooperation in protection against biological threats and information security. Ensuring technological leadership in the military sphere, developing military-industrial complexes of the CSTO countries and promoting their cooperation, and fulfilling the innovative potential will also be among our priorities. We intend to use a wider range of tools for jointly countering international terrorism and extremism, money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as combating illicit drug and arms trafficking, transnational organised crime, and illegal migration. <...> We are confident in the support of our partners in implementing the priorities of the Russian presidency, and ready to work closely together and productively in 2026. I am convinced that through joint efforts we will bring cooperation within the CSTO to a new level to preserve and strengthen peace in the Organisation’s space. Read in full

🎙Video address by President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 70th anniversary of Baikonur Space Centre (June 2, 2025) 💬 Mr. President Tokayev, Russian and Kazakh friends, employees and veteran workers of the Baikonur Space Centre. I extend my heartfelt greetings on this momentous occasion, the 70th anniversary of the legendary Baikonur Space Centre. It was on June 2, 1955, that a historic state decision marked the beginning of a unique rocket testing site in the Soviet Union – destined to become the world’s first spaceport. Just a decade after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the multiethnic Soviet nation, having endured immense tragedy and devastating losses, achieved the remarkable. The Soviet people not only rebuilt cities and towns from the ruins and ignited powerful economic and technological progress, but also took a bold leap into the future, launching visionary and ambitious plans that opened the path to space, to the stars. The creation of Baikonur, along with the entire space programme, stands as a true feat, a testament to courage, determination, and heroic spirit. We honour the monumental, selfless labour of the hundreds of thousands from all the republics of the Union who envisioned, designed, and built Baikonur, and who worked at the cosmodrome from its earliest days. <...> It was here, at Baikonur, that the countdown to a new era in human history began – where dreams took flight and became reality. From this very site, in 1957, the R-7 rocket carried the first artificial satellite into orbit, and on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin launched from Baikonur to become the first human to journey around the Earth in space. The history of Baikonur is rich with remarkable milestones. Among them are the pioneering flight of the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963; the launch of the world’s first manned orbital station, Salyut-1, in 1971; and the historic liftoff of the reusable spacecraft Buran in 1988. It was also from Baikonur that the Zarya module was launched in 1998, ushering in the construction of the International Space Station, which continues to operate in orbit to this day. Baikonur has witnessed more than 2,500 launches and has sent over 200 cosmonauts into orbit. From its launch pads, representatives of numerous countries have embarked on space missions, many of them scientists conducting groundbreaking experiments and advancing both fundamental and applied research. It is fitting that the space centre was named Baikonur, meaning “rich land” in Kazakh. Indeed, its contribution to international scientific and technological progress is immense, truly rich in every sense, and beyond measure. Baikonur remains one of the largest and most advanced spaceports in the world. With a workforce of around seven thousand, this versatile complex plays an active role in the space programmes of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and numerous other countries. 🇷🇺🤝🇰🇿 Baikonur also stands as a powerful symbol of the strategic partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Dozens of treaties and agreements have been signed between our nations, governing all aspects of the cosmodrome’s operations and the administration of the city of Baikonur. Baikonur stands as a vivid example of how cooperation and integration can serve the mutual interests of both Russia and Kazakhstan, enhancing their international standing and reinforcing their leadership in science, innovation, and various high-tech sectors. Russia will continue to make significant efforts to support the development of the city of Baikonur and to ensure the wellbeing of its residents, both Russian and Kazakh citizens. The active operation of the space centre and the creation of favourable conditions for its continued use remain among our top priorities. I wish you good health and continued success in advancing our national space industry and in strengthening the partnership between Russia and Kazakhstan. Once again, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on this memorable anniversary. Read in full #RussiaKazakhstan

🛬 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin arrives in Astana to take part in the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) Heads of State Council. 📍 July3, 2024 🇷🇺🇰🇿#RussiaKazakhstan

It was a pleasure to join Arunansh B Goswami in discussing the potential for economic, military, and geopolitical cooperation between #India and #Armenia. Grateful to Mr. Anoop Verma and the ETGovernment platform for providing an opportunity to share perspectives and ideas aimed at strengthening the bond between our nations. Watch the full discussion here:

🇦🇲⛪Device of Subterfuge: Armenian Church Served up as a Scapegoat by Pashinyan’s Administration! As Armenia deepens ties with the West, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has intensified a crackdown on the Armenian Apostolic Church, using legal repression to neutralize a critical institution and signaling a dangerous geopolitical reorientation ✍️Author:Henry Kamens Columnist and expert on Central Asia and the Caucasus ➡️The government's campaign has escalated with the arrests of priests and senior bishops, including the sentencing of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan to two years in prison. Officials frame the Church as a "state within a state" and an agent of foreign influence, but critics see a calculated effort to dismantle the nation's oldest and most trusted institution. This confrontation is not theological but political, reflecting Pashinyan's anxiety over legitimacy following the Nagorno-Karabakh defeat and his pursuit of a decisive Western pivot. Similar dynamics have played out in Ukraine, where religious institutions and sectarian divisions were long instrumentalized — including during the Soviet era — as tools to fracture Ukrainian–Russian–USSR relations ➡️The conflict serves as a critical stress test for Armenia's cohesion. With elections looming in 2026, the systematic sidelining of the Church risks fracturing national identity and leaving the country more exposed to external manipulation. As Yerevan signs new strategic agreements with Washington under the "TRIPP" initiative, the domestic crackdown mirrors a familiar geopolitical playbook where religious institutions are instrumentalized to sever historical ties, in this case with Russia, and align a nation with Western strategic interests. 🟦The implications extend beyond borders. Neutralizing the Church could facilitate Armenia's transformation into a potential forward base against Iran, drawing the volatile South Caucasus deeper into great-power competition. This church-state schism is a deliberate political device, masking a fundamental reorientation that threatens Armenia's internal stability and its precarious position between regional powers. #Armenia#Geopolitics#Religion READ MORE ✅@NewEasternOutlook

📝What are they preparing for?📝 Ukrainian PMCs worldwide? The president of so-called Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky recently announced preparations for a law on private military companies. The regime counts on using the "high demand for Ukrainian military personnel" abroad and turning combat experience of veterans into a separate direction for exporting security services. 🖍This idea was somewhat expected in a way. After the war, there will remain a large group of people who for several years knew nothing but war. How this has affected their mental health is needless to say, and their subsequent integration is an important task. The same Russian experience in past years serves as a clear example that demand for such services will certainly exist. Ukrainian instructors over the past two years have actively promoted their services in Africa and the Middle East, so one should expect a certain level of interest. 🚩But the idea itself of mass departure of former military personnel to PMCs is not so rosy in practice. Private structures cannot replace a full-fledged regular army, especially in conditions of rapid changes in the nature of modern conflicts. Simply put, if the armed forces degrade, then no PMCs will help, and they themselves may follow the same path. 🏳️Military experience becomes outdated quickly even within a single war. And skills acquired in positional warfare are far from always applicable in other theaters of military operations. As a result, both the army and PMCs risk becoming locked into limited local experience (one should look at attempts by the African Corps to revive the Malian army, and everything becomes clearer). ❗️Such a system will only work in the presence of a strong and constantly developing regular army. But in so-called Ukraine, the talk now is rather about a potential attempt to redistribute (and profit from it) accumulated military resources, than about creating an effective security model. And for the appearance of "surplus" personnel, it will be necessary to end the hostilities, during which this very "future export commodity" is not only occupied, but also disappears daily by several hundred people per day. #Ukraine ✈ | ✈ | ✉ ✉️ | ✉️ | ✉️ | ✉️ 💸

🎙Remarks by Head of the Russian delegation Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov at the 66th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs 📍 Vienna, March 13, 2023 💬 The world is going through dramatic transformations in many areas. It is clearer than ever now that the expansion of global drug trafficking is a common threat and fighting it is our joint responsibility. 🤝 We welcome the determination of individual groups of countries and associations such as Central Asia and #ASEAN to create drug-free regions. We note with satisfaction that in recent years the #SCO has significantly built up its drug-combating capacity and continues to build, in conjunction with the #CSTO, the #CIS and CARICC, a barrier on the northern route that is used for smuggling Afghan drugs to Europe. ⚠️ Unfortunately, not all states are willing to act responsibly when it comes to fighting drug abuse. For several years now, we have been witnessing a small group of Western countries acting as if they are entitled to not follow the corresponding conventions. Today, we are talking not only about legalising supposedly less harmful cannabis, but also about lifting bans on the use of dangerous substances such as methamphetamine and heroin. Everyone can see the results of this thoughtless policy of permissiveness. It is no coincidence that these countries are faced with an opioid crisis involving an unprecedented number of fatalities. Does this sound like concern for public health? Read in full

🇦🇲🇺🇸Armenia Bolsters Ties with the US A new phase in Armenian-American relations is unfolding as Yerevan signals that Washington — not Brussels — may become its primary Western partner ✍️Alexander Svarants is a PhD in Political Sciences, professor, and expert in Turkish and Middle Eastern studies ➡️For the first time in its history, Armenia hosted a sitting U.S. vice president when J. D. Vance visited Yerevan on February 9–10, meeting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The visit followed Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the 2023 loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, events that triggered a deep political and security crisis. As Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, pressed for the opening of the so-called Zangezur corridor linking it to Nakhchivan, Yerevan began reassessing its strategic alliances. Disillusionment with the limited support from traditional partners, including Russia and the European Union, accelerated Armenia’s pivot toward a more direct partnership with the United States. The public support for Nikol Pashinyan from Senator Vance on the eve of the Armenian parliamentary elections begs the question of the US possibly interfering with Armenia’s internal affairs ➡️The emerging cooperation extends beyond diplomacy into infrastructure, energy, and technology. Central to this shift is the proposed transit initiative known as TRIPP, envisioned as a multimodal route through Armenia’s Syunik region under significant U.S. oversight. During the visit, Vance highlighted American readiness to invest in strategic sectors, including plans for a Small Modular Reactor to replace the aging Metsamor nuclear facility and agreements on civilian nuclear cooperation. Additional discussions covered advanced defense technologies and artificial intelligence projects involving U.S. firms, signaling Washington’s willingness to integrate Armenia into select high-tech supply chains. For Yerevan, such initiatives promise diversification of security guarantees and economic modernization. 🟦Yet the rapprochement carries political and strategic risks. The vice president’s public endorsement of Pashinyan ahead of parliamentary elections has fueled debate about possible external influence in domestic affairs. Critics question the economic feasibility and safety of proposed nuclear projects and doubt whether limited defense deliveries can meaningfully alter the regional balance of power with Azerbaijan. While the government frames its Western turn as a pragmatic response to post-war realities, Armenia now faces the delicate task of balancing relations with Moscow-led structures and its expanding ties to Washington. Whether this recalibration strengthens Armenian sovereignty or deepens new dependencies will shape the country’s trajectory in the South Caucasus. #Armenia#ArmeniaandAzerbaijan#USA READ MORE ✅@NewEasternOutlook

🇮🇷🇦🇲Iran Expresses Dissatisfaction with the Inaction of Armenian Authorities Amid Regional Challenges Tehran is increasingly uneasy with Yerevan’s ambiguous posture as geopolitical pressures mount in the South Caucasus and Iran itself faces internal and external stress ✍️Author: Alexandr Svaranc PhD in Political Sciences, Professor, expert in Turkish studies and Middle Eastern affairs ➡️For Iran, the South Caucasus has long held critical strategic importance, particularly Armenia, which serves as a key transport corridor linking Iran to Russia, Europe, and the Eurasian Economic Union. Historically, Tehran viewed Yerevan as a reliable partner that balanced Turkey, avoided cooperation with Israel, and preserved stability along Iran’s northern border after the Karabakh status quo. Azerbaijan, by contrast, has raised persistent concerns due to its close ties with Turkey and Israel, including fears that Azerbaijani territory could be used for intelligence or military operations against Iran. For Iran, Armenia is a traditional historical neighbor and civilization, with its eastern territory having been part of the Persian state for centuries ➡️This balance began to erode after Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Karabakh war and its subsequent diplomatic reorientation. The signing in August 2025 of a U.S.-brokered agreement establishing a transport corridor through Armenia’s Syunik region under long-term American oversight heightened Tehran’s anxieties. Combined with Armenia’s growing engagement with Western states and the possibility of expanded cooperation with Israel, these developments are perceived in Iran as weakening its strategic depth and increasing the risk of hostile encirclement along its northern frontier. 🟦Against the backdrop of Iran’s current internal crisis, Tehran has taken note of Armenia’s official silence and its tolerance of anti-Iranian demonstrations outside the Iranian embassy in Yerevan. Statements by Iran’s ambassador warning that Armenia risks becoming a platform for hostile forces reflect mounting frustration. While Armenian authorities frame their position as adherence to democratic norms, in Tehran this restraint is interpreted as political inaction at a sensitive moment. The situation leaves Yerevan navigating a narrow path between Western engagement and preserving relations with a neighbor whose stability remains vital to Armenia’s own security. #Armenia#Azerbaijan#Geopolitics#Iran READ MORE ✅@NewEasternOutlook