by Eldar Mamedov The Muslim world continues to reverberate from the shock created by Saudi Arabia’s early January execution of Baqr al-Nimr, a dissident Shia cleric. Meanwhile, another outspoken Shia cleric, Taleh Bagir-zade, sits behind bars in Azerbaijan. Bagir-zade was… Continue Reading
by Durna Safarova With oil prices now barely above $31 per barrel, Azerbaijan’s energy-export economy is taking on lots of water. And what is worse, Baku’s lifeboat, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, appears to be in danger of foundering.
by LobeLog’s Tehran correspondent After six years of turbulent relations between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, several recent trips by high-ranking Iranian officials to Baku and Azeri ministers to Tehran are the latest signs that the two countries want… Continue Reading
by Eldar Mamedov A lot still has to happen before a deal to monitor Iran’s nuclear program can be implemented. But if it goes through, Azerbaijan could face a diplomatic quandary. Representatives of the 5+1 group (comprising the United States,… Continue Reading
by Giorgi Lomsadze Yes, you read that right. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on April 7 swapped his usual suit-and-tie look for the white robes of a Muslim pilgrim to Mecca. His wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, and daughters Leyla and Arzu, the country’s… Continue Reading