Azerbaijan
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HALLIGAN: Power struggle in OPEC+ is pulling oil prices down
The oil market has entered choppy waters once again. Crude prices fell by a dramatic 18% in April y/y – the sharpest monthly drop since November 2021 – partly due to a global slowdown, but more due to a power struggle within OPEC+.
Post-war order teetering – rights watchdog
Eurasia “at forefront” of assault on individual freedoms.
Tensions flare in Azerbaijan–Russia ties despite Patriarch’s visit
Mixed messages as an Azerbaijani ruling party MP is refused entry to Russia while President Ilham Aliyev hosts Patriarch Kirill in Baku.
COMMENT: Middle Corridor makes progress, but playing second fiddle to the Northern Route
The Middle Corridor linking China to Europe through the South Caucasus and Central Asia has expanded significantly in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but its long-term prospects remain uncertain.
After Samarkand summit, Europe’s quest for Central Asian resources meets reality
Playing long game for rare earths.
Aid ship to Gaza hit by drone strikes near Malta in international waters
A ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's mission to break Israel's blockade has reportedly been hit by drone strikes in international waters near Malta.
Caspian Sea may become next Aral, but who is to blame?
Some forecasting even indicates the decline of the body of water could pose a threat to the shipping section of the rapidly expanding Middle Corridor transit route.
Iran and Azerbaijan sign key MOUs during presidential visit
President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Baku on April 28, during which Iran and Azerbaijan signed seven memoranda of understanding (MOUs) covering sectors such as political consultation, transportation, cultural exchange, health, media, and investment.
COMMENT: Embracing “Greater Central Asia” has become a strategic imperative for US
Wider region increasingly seen as arena in which major powers’ interests, such as in sourcing critical minerals, collide and converge.
Azerbaijan and China sign major renewable energy deals
Baku is accelerating its partnerships with major Chinese energy firms in developing large-scale renewable infrastructure, including offshore wind, floating solar and battery storage projects.
COMMENT: Azerbaijan redraws its foreign policy map
Azerbaijan has shifted its traditional foreign policy strategy by making inroads into regions far beyond the post-Soviet space, including the Balkans, Middle East, and more recently Sub-Saharan Africa.
Azerbaijan targets influencers in overhaul of online advertising rules
Bloggers and content creators will be held accountable for the accuracy and fairness of the ads they disseminate.
Azerbaijan’s president eyes China as key strategic partner
Baku is deepening ties with Beijing ahead of President Ilham Aliyev’s upcoming state visit to China as it seeks partners outside Western-dominated frameworks.
Azerbaijani politician enters third week of hunger strike, over 10kg lost as health deteriorates
Tofiq Yagublu started the hunger strike in response to what he called a politically motivated and unjust court ruling that sentenced him to nine years in prison on fraud and document forgery charges.
Azerbaijan and China expand economic ties ahead of presidential visit
China has solidified its position as Azerbaijan’s largest trading partner in the South Caucasus.
Azerbaijan's central bank halts disclosure of FX auction results
Decision reduces transparency around FX operations that were previously disclosed every Tuesday and Thursday.
Measuring impact of US tariffs on Central Asia and South Caucasus
Little near-term pain, but lots of uncertainty about future.
Tehran-Baku ties in focus as Iranian presidential envoy visits ahead of high-level state visit
Iranian official Mehdi Sanaei has held talks with Azerbaijan's top leadership, including President Ilham Aliyev in Baku, ahead of a visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in April, IntelliNews has learned.
COMMENT: South Caucasus offers a potential diplomatic triumph for Trump
The new US administration wants to become the political team that ends the longstanding conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Demolition scandal in Baku as construction firm flattens home with residents still inside
Eyewitnesses allege that heavy machinery struck a residential building despite an active court order prohibiting such action near the property.