Opinion: Karabakh’s Heritage Controversy
Since the early days of Azerbaijan’s restoration of sovereignty over the formerly occupied Karabagh region…
Opinion: Karabakh’s Heritage Controversy
Since the early days of Azerbaijan’s restoration of sovereignty over the formerly occupied Karabagh region in 2020/2023, some Armenian political circles and diaspora networks have accused Baku of destroying Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the liberated territories. The recent claims about the demolition of some structures in Khankandi, Karabakh, have brought this issue back…
The path to peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia: Remaining risks and challenges
In recent years, the momentum generated in the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia has brought the sides closer to permanently overcoming a conflict that lasted for around three decades. Since 2020, new geopolitical realities have emerged, creating a tangible basis for the conclusion of a peace agreement between the parties. Within this context,…
Italy in Beijing: The 2024-2027 Action Plan’s legacy vs Sanchez-Xi understanding
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani has just concluded his three-day mission in China, where he met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi together with the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao in Beijing. The diplomatic meeting was part of the continuation of the 2024–2027 Italy–China Three-Year Action Plan, which was signed by…
The instrumentalisation of the former conflict by the Armenian government in the upcoming election risks the peace process
The dynamics between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the end of the Second Karabakh War have been defined by a gradual, fragile transition from active conflict to an uneasy peace-building phase. The collapse of the separatist entity in 2023 and subsequent diplomatic engagement, supported by actors such as the United States and the European Union, created…
Japan Accelerates its Drive for Caspian Oil Amid the Hormuz Crisis
The sharp escalation of the Iran-related crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has once again exposed the fragility of global energy supply chains dependent on maritime chokepoints. Nowhere is this vulnerability more visible than in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows. As the…
Baku–Moscow Tensions Subdued, but Underlying Distrust Persists
Executive Summary: Azerbaijan lodged diplomatic protests against Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s comments on Karabakh during his April 1 meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which Baku regarded as an attempt to reopen an issue it deems resolved. Despite accumulated grievances over the past year and a half, including the December 2024 targeting of…
Azerbaijan Manages Crisis Amid Iran Conflict
Executive Summary The outbreak of the conflict in Iran in March 2026 transformed Azerbaijan’s southern border into an active crisis-management zone, requiring coordination on border control, security measures, and humanitarian logistics. Baku’s response has combined operational measures and controlled diplomacy, including evacuation of citizens, facilitation of third-country transit through Azerbaijani territory, humanitarian aid deliveries via…
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Despite peace, the consequences of war are still present
April 4 was International Mine Awareness Day. For much of the world, it is just another regular day, or at best a moment of reflection, a calendar entry, perhaps a social media post. For Azerbaijan, it is something else entirely: a mirror held up to a reality that does not pause, does not yield, and…
Azerbaijan-European Union Relations: Current State and Prospects
Whether in politics, the economy or energy security, relations between Azerbaijan and the EU have been developing dynamically, writes Dr. Matin Mammadli in an opinion piece for Euronews. Increased investment, technology transfer and visa facilitation would further strengthen these ties. Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) have entered a phase of dynamic…
Azerbaijan and South Korea Sign Energy MoU
Executive Summary: The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and South Korean engineering firm Samsung E&A signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 25 to improve the efficiency of energy assets, localize production, develop a regional industrial hub, foster human capital development, and advance decarbonization cooperation. South Korea–Azerbaijan meetings in November 2021 and…