Azad Garibov
Azad Garibov is an independent analyst on the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Caspian affairs.
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Articles by Azad Garibov
What Is New in the Latest Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict Escalation?
The bloodiest of all ongoing post-Soviet conflicts, that between Armenia and Azerbaijan, intensified again on July 12. Over three days, the fighting claimed the lives of 16 people, including an
Coronavirus Pandemic Provides Surprising Momentum to Trans-Eurasian Rail Transportation
The COVID-19 pandemic generated many challenges for trans-Eurasian transportation corridors as borders were shut down, factories closed, and supply chains thrown into disarray. The disease outbreak and subsequent quarantine conditions
EU Emerges as Leading Donor for Partnership Countries in Fighting COVID-19 Pandemic and its Economic Consequences
On March 30, the European Union announced it would provide substantial support to the six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine—to mitigate the health and socio-economic
Could Russia Join the Southern Gas Corridor? The View From Baku
At this year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that transporting Russian natural gas via the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline
Pashinyan Tries to Leverage Armenia’s CSTO Membership Against Azerbaijan
The Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) political-executive body, the Collective Security Council, held a session on November 27–28, in Bishkek, at which Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that
Central Asian Perspectives of the Tsentr 2019 Military Exercises
Tsentr 2019, this year’s largest Russian strategic-operational exercise, involving both Russian troops and seven regional allies and partners, was a highly promoted event by Russia’s state-owned news outlets. According to
Hopes Reemerge for Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline, but Critical Obstacles Persist
On August 12, delegations led by the prime ministers of the five Caspian littoral states—Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan—came together at Turkmenistan’s coastal resort of Awaza to hold the
Russia Eyes Joining BTK Railway Across South Caucasus
Representatives of Turkish, Azerbaijani and Russian railways inked a cooperation memorandum on May 6, 2019, in Ankara, to leverage the potential of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway and increase the volume
Gazprom Resumes Imports of Turkmen Gas After Three-Year Break
The spokesperson for Gazprom, Sergey Kupriyanov, stated, on April 15, that the company had resumed gas imports from Turkmenistan (News Central Asia, April 16). His announcement was immediately confirmed by
Iran and Azerbaijan Proceed With Rapprochement as Diplomatic Exchanges Multiply
Iranian-Azerbaijani relations have been firmly on track toward rapprochement since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in Iran and the subsequent progress on the nuclear deal and lifting of Western
‘Monument Dispute’ Raises Tensions in South Caucasus
Over the past several decades, multiple disputes over historical monuments and the symbolism they carry have broken out across the post-Soviet region. Notably, Russia has vocally denounced the removal of
How Credible Is the CSTO Secretary General’s Warning Against Azerbaijan?
In a statement published on the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) website, on September 21, 2018, the alliance’s Secretary General Yuri Khachaturov, who is from Armenia, declared, “We have serious
Russian Government Approves Draft Convention on Legal Status of Caspian Sea
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree, on June 21, approving the Draft Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. And he encouraged President Vladimir Putin to
Are the Littoral States Close to Signing an Agreement on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea?
Moscow’s chief negotiator on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, Igor Bratchikov, stated, on April 14, at the international “Caspian Dialogue” forum in Moscow, that “the Convention on the
Armenia and Azerbaijan Flex Military Muscles While Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Negotiations Stall
The meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Vienna (May 16) and St. Petersburg (June 20), following a dangerous flare-up of tensions on the frontline in early April 2016,
Militarization of the Caspian Sea: A Zero-Sum Game?
On July 13, in the capital city of Astana, Kazakhstan hosted a meeting of the foreign ministers of the five Caspian littoral states. The officials gathered to discuss a draft
Karabakh: A New Theater for Drone Warfare?
Serious renewed violence broke out between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan last month (April 2–5, 2016), with fighting in the separatist Azerbaijani region of Karabakh reaching levels not
New Prospects for Development of Transport Sector in Azerbaijan
Continuing drastic declines in energy prices have given new impetus to Azerbaijan’s long-running quest to diversify its economy and develop the domestic non-oil sector. In this regard, the country’s leadership