Politics

Azerbaijan is marking one year since an AZAL Embraer 190 operating flight J2-8243 crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Preliminary findings cited by Azerbaijani officials point to external physical and technical interference in Russian airspace.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said the country’s military victory and subsequent political steps have definitively ended separatism in Karabakh, leaving no room for territorial claims or alternative interpretations.

As Russia and Iran push back against the TRIPP initiative, Azerbaijan is reshaping the South Caucasus through connectivity and post-conflict normalization-challenging long-standing geopolitical gatekeepers.

Turkey’s influence in the South Caucasus is underestimated, while Ankara’s “Azerbaijan First” policy continues to block meaningful normalization with Armenia, says APRI Armenia researcher Benyamin Poghosyan, warning that selective regional connectivity could leave Yerevan sidelined.

A court in Baku has begun hearings in the Meydan TV case, with prosecutors formally reading out the indictment against several journalists accused of smuggling-related offenses.

Russia is trying to regain leverage in the South Caucasus by encouraging Armenian revanchist forces, analyst warns.

Aliyev’s decision to skip the CIS summit reflects growing frustration with Moscow over unresolved security and accountability issues.

Azerbaijan has launched the implementation of a wide-ranging amnesty act initiated by President Ilham Aliyev and approved by parliament earlier this month, with the measure expected to affect around 20,000 people.

The Azerbaijani Presidential Administration has clarified the reasons behind President Ilham Aliyev’s absence from the December 21 meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council and the informal CIS leaders’ summit in St. Petersburg, citing Azerbaijan’s non-membership in the EAEU and the president’s tight schedule.

Azerbaijan and Montenegro have discussed expanding investment, trade and air connectivity during high-level talks in Baku, reaffirming cooperation across political, economic and humanitarian fields.

The United Kingdom has imposed financial sanctions on Azerbaijani national Chingiz Aliyev, including an asset freeze, as part of its expanded measures targeting Russia-linked entities.

Azerbaijan’s parliament has approved draft amendments expanding the list of information prohibited online, introducing new restrictions related to public morality and social conduct.