Tag Archives: Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan imposes new rules on taxi drivers

March 28 2024 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan introduced new rules for taxi drivers which it said were aimed at improving the environment and reducing the number of taxi drivers in Baku by a third to 20,000. Drivers and their cars now need to pass more stringent tests and also carry contactless payment terminals. Taxi drivers have complained that the new rules are unfair.

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— This story was published in issue 564 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on April 15 2024

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2024

Azerbaijan appoints first ambassador to Israel

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JAN. 11 2023 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan appointed its first-ever ambassador to Israel. The appointment came as its relations with Iran continued to sour. It has boosted relations with Israel over the past few years, trading oil for weapons. Israel has previously said that in the event of war with Iran, it will use air bases in Azerbaijan.

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— This story was published in issue 532 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Jan. 16 2023

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Azerbjainan’s energy fund SOFAz denies it plans to buy Latvian gas firm

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JAN. 5 2023 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s energy wealth fund SOFAZ was forced to deny that it intended to buy Latvia’s biggest gas trading company Lavija Gaze after some news agencies reported that it would shortly become the biggest shareholder. SOFAZ’s cash pile has been swelled by huge inflows from oil and gas sales this year and analysts have said that it is looking to buy assets, especially in Europe.

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— This story was published in issue 532 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Jan. 16 2023

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2023

Repressive leader of Azerbaijan’s Nakchivan retires

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DEC. 21 2022 (The Bulletin) — Vasif Talibov, the repressive leader of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, quit after 26 years for health reasons. He had been given the job by Heydar Aliyev, father of the current Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev. Human rights groups had highlighted Nakhchivan under Mr Tabilov as being particularly repressive and corrupt. Analysts had said that Mr Aliyev would want to exert more direct control over Nakhchivan after his victory over Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Shahin Mirzayev, the emergencies minister, was appointed head of the region (Jan. 17).

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— This story was published in issue 532 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Jan. 16 2023

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2023

New coronavirus variant discovered in Azerbaijan

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OCT. 27 2021 (The Bulletin) — Health officials in Azerbaijan said that they had detected six cases of a new variant of the coronavirus which has been described as 15 times more dangerous than the Delta variant. The AY.4.2 variant was first discovered in Britain, the US and Israel but has now spread to other countries.

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— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Erdogan opens new Nagorno-Karabakh airport

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OCT. 26 2021 (The Bulletin) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew to Nagorno-Karabakh, the region recaptured by Azerbaijan in a war last year against Armenia, for the third time in the past 12 months to open a new airport alongside his ally, Azerbaijani Pres. Ilham Aliyev. The new airport at Fizula is being promoted as one of the highlights of Azerbaijan’s infrastructure push in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Armenia and Iran agree to build road bypassing Azerbaijan

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OCT. 25 2021 (The Bulletin) — Armenia and Iran agreed to build a stretch of road that avoids crossing through territory now controlled by Azerbaijan and to smooth customs regulations, Iranian media quoted Iranian officials as saying. The deal is considered significant as it underlines the neighbours’ commitment to each other despite pressure from Azerbaijan to break up the alliance. It now controls a 20km stretch of road that it captured after defeating Armenia in a war for Nagorno-Karabakh last year.

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— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Azerbaijani mineral water wants to export to Europe

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OCT. 22 2021 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijani mineral water producer Badamly said that it plans to start exporting to Europe and that it has applied for an export licence. Badamly Mineral Water is currently only exporting to FSU countries. The plant used to produce around 350m bottles per year until the late 1990s but now produces around half that at its plant in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan. The most famous mineral water export from the South Caucasus is Georgia’s Borjomi.

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— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

AZerbaijani police detain Shiite clerics

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OCT. 19 2021 (The Bulletin) — Azerbaijan’s security services detained several Shiite clerics in what has been interpreted as an action designed to pressure Iran. Azerbaijan released two Iranian lorry drivers this month, a de-escalation of tension between the two neighbours since it erected checkpoints on a stretch of road that links Iran and Yerevan.

>>See page 6 for story on Iran-Armenia road and customs deals

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— This story was published in issue 505 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Oct. 28 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Skirmishes intensify between Azerbaijan and Armenia

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JULY 20 2021 (The Bulletin) — Militaries of both Azerbaijan and Armenia reported that skirmishes along their shared borders had intensified. Some reports even said that heavy weapons had been brought up from the rear. Analysts said that the visit to Moscow by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev may have sparked off the intensified skirmishes. With the help of Turkey, Azerbaijan defeated Armenia in a war last year for control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

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— This story was published in issue 493 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 22 2021