October 12, 2014: The latest scientific study posits the location for the legendary Garden of Eden in South Azerbaijan (now northwestern Iran), in the vicinity of Tabriz upon which the Genesis tradition was based. According to the British archaeologist Davis M. Rohl, the Garden of Eden was then located in …
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Azerbaijan economy in 2016
Fitch Rating has published today its forecasts for the economic situation in Azerbaijan for 2015-17. The report of Fitch’s senior director Paule Gamble says that by the end of 2015 the GDP growth rate is projected to be 2.3%, for 2016 – 2.7%, and for 2017 – 3%. By the …
Read More »Karabagh’s roots go back to Caucasian Albania
The main cause of what is known as the “Karabagh problem” is the territorial claims of Armenians on Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan. The Armenians’ constant attention towards Azerbaijan in general and Karabagh in particular has its roots in the complex history of the Armenian nation. This can be investigated through a …
Read More »Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The period of the Democratic Republic, 1918-1920, was a distorted and scarce mentioned page in the history of Azerbaijan during the Soviet era. As archive documents on this period were always kept closed, researchers could not find out the real history, and those who did know about it deliberately described …
Read More »Azerbaijan- Iran Relations: Challenges and Prospects
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the former Soviet republics tried to search for their place in the new global structure. It was necessary to discover “new neighbors” who had been separated for many decades by the “Iron Curtain.” It took time for the southern neighbors — Turkey, Iran, …
Read More »Azerbaijan – a growing problem for the West
Azerbaijan’s cooperation with the West, launched two decades ago, has helped it become a relatively strong and ambitious actor on the international stage. It has become a key country in the region from the Western (USA and the EU) and Turkish points of view, as well as an important partner …
Read More »Azerbaijan’s economic model and its development since independence
Obtaining independence on November 18, 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan entered a long lasting1 transition period with different stages, which lasted till 2010. During this period, the economic development of the country experienced several cycles: firstly, the recession (19921995) recovery (1996- 1997), boom (1998-2008) and final slump (starting 2009).
Read More »Azerbaijan and Turkey: the light and shade of ‘Turkish’ brotherhood
Theses 1. Turkey and Azerbaijan have very close relations for cultural and economic reasons. The only thing that could worsen Turkish-Azerbaijani relations in the future is an improvement of relations between Turkey and Armenia, which is very unlikely. 2. Turkish-Azerbaijani relations have become increasingly pragmatic since the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline was built. Turkey’s energy security and its …
Read More »Azerbaijani national identity: From ethnicity to statehood
The study of national identity as a phenomenon of collective consciousness is crucial in understanding the development of any society. National identity is a compound term which, depending on the country, may involve one or more distinctive factors of collective mentality, such as ethnicity, language, culture, or religion (Smith 1993). …
Read More »The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Minsk Group: Towards a more productive engagement?
Almost from the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, outside or third parties have sought to mediate the conflict, but the conflict remains unresolved. And that, in turn, has sparked a debate, sometimes intense and sometimes less so, as to whether such media contributes to conflict resolution or in fact keeps …
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