Azerbaijan.US
Azerbaijani economist Natig Jafarli has said that the continued closure of Azerbaijan’s land borders is causing significant economic damage, pointing to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic as a clear counterexample.
In a Facebook post commenting on economic performance in 2025, Jafarli noted that Azerbaijan’s gross domestic product grew by just 1.4%, one of the weakest results among CIS countries.
At the same time, he highlighted a notable exception: Nakhchivan, where GDP growth reached 4%, well above the national average.
According to Jafarli, the key factor behind Nakhchivan’s stronger performance is the fact that land borders in the autonomous republic are fully open. Residents registered in Nakhchivan can freely travel to Iran and Türkiye, engage in cross-border trade, and move by bus, on foot, or in private vehicles.
Jafarli acknowledged that such a situation raises questions about equal rights for citizens under Azerbaijan’s Constitution, but stressed that, from an economic standpoint, open borders have clearly stimulated activity in the region.
Addressing the government, the economist argued that the closure of land borders and the effective elimination of cross-border trade have dealt a serious blow to the national economy. He suggested that officials need not look abroad for evidence, as the Nakhchivan example alone demonstrates the economic benefits of open land borders.
“Open the land borders,” Jafarli wrote. “Let citizens breathe more freely – and let the economy recover.”
