Resumption of Baku–Supsa Strengthens South Caucasus Role in Caspian Oil Supplies to Europe

The modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway line, officially completed on May 18 in Baku, was more than an infrastructure event for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. It reflected a deeper transformation of global logistics, where transport corridors are increasingly becoming instruments of geopolitical influence, economic resilience and competition among global power centers.

The second day of the World Urban Forum WUF13 in Baku demonstrated that global urbanism is rapidly moving beyond architecture and municipal governance, becoming one of the central issues of world politics, where housing, climate, migration and urban resilience are increasingly forming part of a new geopolitical agenda.

The hosting of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku has become not only a major international urban development event for Azerbaijan, but also an attempt by the country to establish itself as a new diplomatic platform for discussing the global challenges of the 21st century — from housing shortages and climate resilience to post-conflict reconstruction.

On May 17, the flag of the World Urban Forum will be raised at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, officially marking the opening of WUF13 — one of the world’s largest international gatherings dedicated to the future of cities, urbanization and human life in the 21st century.