AIR Center

Editor’s note: Farid Shafiyev is the chairman of the Baku-based Center of Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism. The article reflects the author’s personal views and does not necessarily represent the position of News.Az. Introduction The South Caucasus has always been a crossroads where empires, regional powers and outside interests compete. In a world now…

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the 8th Congress of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) in Baku on Friday, the first party congress convened since Azerbaijan fully restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty. His speech reviewed three decades of statehood, but its lasting importance lies elsewhere. The President set out, in systematic terms, the principles that…

In Europe, a lot of work has been done over the years in preparation for an event that would trigger NATO’s Article 5. But the real challenge is the step beneath NATO’s Article 5. Events such as sabotage, cyberattacks, drones, and even infrastructure attacks can be costly in terms of strategy, yet intentionally ambiguous to…

President Ilham Aliyev’s (pictured) address to the Congress of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) was more than a party speech. It set out, in programmatic form, how Azerbaijan intends to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty, that it won on the battlefield in 2020-2023. Its message can be summed up in three words – peace…

In recent years, Central Asia has moved from the periphery of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy to become one of its principal geopolitical priorities. This shift cannot be explained solely by the translation of the historical, ethnic, religious, and cultural affinities between Azerbaijan and the states of the region into political relations. The new phase rests on…

Until recently, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) could best be understood in terms of identity, language, culture, and economic collaboration. This is changing. On September 17, Baku played host to the Fifth Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the OTS countries. In his message to the meeting, the president of Azerbaijan,…

Executive Summary: Azerbaijan connected the 100-megawatt Gobustan solar plant to the grid on September 16, adding to a rapidly expanding renewable sector that Baku says will reduce domestic gas consumption and support its electricity and gas exports.The renewable build-out builds on Azerbaijan’s gas-based energy strategy, with the United Arab Emirates’ Masdar, Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power,…

When Faith Becomes a Frontline: A row over two monasteries in Garabagh reveals who still stands in the way of reconciliation, and who benefits. Earlier this month, some 150 diplomats from 58 countries toured Garabagh at Azerbaijan’s invitation. Such visits are no longer unusual. Diplomats have travelled to the territories restored to Azerbaijani control many…

Since regaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has prioritized developing relations with the Islamic world. As the only Muslim-majority country in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan operates in a complex geopolitical environment shaped by centuries of interaction among Islamic, Eastern, and Western civilizations. Its strategic geographic location, rich historical and cultural heritage, and experience in serving as…