Azerbaijan's Currency Reserves Reach $11 Billion Amid Economic Growth Forecasts

Around 200 employees of SOCAR, Azerbaijan's state oil company, staged a strike in Batumi, Georgia, on January 21,demanding wage increases, local outlet Batumelebi reported. Participants included technicians and staff from various departments who argued that their long-standing minimal salaries fail to reflect their workload.

On January 21, during a meeting in Davos, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Henrik Poulsen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Carlsberg Group, and Jacob Aarup-Andersen, the company's CEO. The discussions emphasized Carlsberg Group's expanding presence in Azerbaijan and its commitment to developing local production and sustainability.

In 2024, Azerbaijan's "Single Window" Export Support Center processed 1,747 requests from businesses and individuals, facilitating the issuance of 3,982 export certificates. According to Vusal Gasimli, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications, these efforts supported export operations valued at USD 288.2 million.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, met with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, during the World Economic Forum in Davos. The two discussed strategies for attracting investment in the transition to green energy and implementing agreements reached at the COP29 conference held in Baku.