On March 13-14, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried and U.S. Special Negotiator for Eurasian Conflicts and U.S. Minsk Group co-chair Ambassador Steven Mann visited Azerbaijan for a two-day official trip. During their visit, the U.S. officials held talks... MORE

President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to Japan on March 8 marks another milestone in Azerbaijan's slow re-orientation toward Asia. During the visit, he met with Japanese Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Taro Aso, and the head of the Japanese International Development Agency... MORE

Recent sweeping changes in the ministerial positions in Azerbaijan's government have brought a new dynamic to the country's internal political developments. Whereas these developments highlighted the growing and consolidating position of President Ilham Aliyev, they also revealed the fading role of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Azerbaijan on February 21-22, presumably to inaugurate the "Year of Russia in Azerbaijan 2006" celebration, following the "Year of Azerbaijan in Russia 2005." While cordial, the atmosphere was far more sober than the love fest of... MORE

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Baku this week to officially open the "Year of Russia in Azerbaijan" celebration. But it is safe to assume that it was not the issues of cultural exchange between the two former Soviet republics that dominated the agenda during the... MORE

The Kremlin has been working hard to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan, and President Vladimir Putin's upcoming trip to Baku is widely seen as a move designed to give bilateral relations yet another boost. Officially, Putin travels to Baku on Tuesday, February 21, for talks with... MORE

After weeks of mutual accusations and growing distrust, the founding members of Azerbaijan's largest opposition coalition Azadliq (Freedom) -- Musavat, Popular Front and the Democratic Party -- have filed for divorce. On February 9 Musavat officially announced its withdrawal from the bloc, due "to the... MORE

Several high-level foreign military dignitaries visited Baku in late January, indicating the start of a new global struggle over Azerbaijan. First came Charles Wald, deputy head of U.S. military forces in Europe, and then Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov followed him to Baku on January... MORE

Iran's recent decision to resume nuclear fuel research has sparked a strong reaction from the United States, the European Union, and even Tehran's traditional ally, Russia. It also brought back the question of referring Iran to the UN Security Council, which could eventually lead to... MORE

The new year has brought new economic surprises for the average Azerbaijani citizen. The Council on Tariffs decided on January 6 to double the price of diesel fuel (from 20 cents per liter to 40 cents), giving it the same price tag as regular gasoline.... MORE