Georgia

Pope Francis on Oct. 2 arrived in mainly Muslim Azerbaijan on the last leg of his peace tour of the volatile ex-Soviet Caucasus region, just months after visiting arch-foe Armenia.

The pontiff held a mass for the country's tiny Catholic community in the capital Baku ahead of a scheduled meeting with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev.

The national women's volleyball team of Bulgaria will be able to participate in the European volleyball championship next year after beating Switzerland on Friday.

It took the Bulgarians five games to defeat their opponent 3:2 (20:25, 25:17, 23:25, 25:15, 15:12), with local sports websites suggesting they had underestimated the Swiss team.

Turkey's TAV has opened talks with Saudi Oger to buy half of the latter's shares in a company that runs Medina's international airport, it said in a written statement late on Sept. 6. 

Scores of foreign affairs ministers from the four corners of the world have queued up to express solidarity to Turkey as they called their counterpart.

The Öşvank Monastery in the eastern province of Erzurum's Uzundere district, which dates back around 1,000 years, has been attracting local and foreign tourists who come for its religious significance and architectural features.

On its 25th anniversary the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is celebrating its successful work with Turkish companies in Turkey and beyond in a written statement on April 22. 

Georgia has arrested three of its nationals and three citizens of Armenia for trying to sell the radioactive substance uranium-238, the ex-Soviet country's security services said April 18.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an on April 6 accused Russia of siding with Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, saying Moscow was meddling as it had in Ukraine and Syria.

Erdo?an also accused Armenia of not sticking to a truce with Turkey's ally Azerbaijan in the territory.

Two Chinese companies - the e-commerce giant Alibaba and the Porter City Holding are considering investing in major logistical projects in Bulgaria, Bulgarian institutions have announced.

Turkey has the potential to increase its annual revenue from health tourism to $5 billion over the next two years, with officials looking for ways to boost and diversify the country's tourism appeal amid a downturn in the sector.