Baku Strengthens Institutional Control Over Strategically Important Nakhchivan

In the global trade of precious metals and diamonds, several large mining countries, trading centers and financial hubs dominate the industry. However, the geography of the sector is gradually expanding. New transport routes and regulatory reforms are creating opportunities for smaller economies to integrate into global value chains.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree reorganizing key state institutions in the fields of media and foreign policy analysis, merging several public legal entities into larger bodies. Authorities describe the reform as a step toward greater efficiency and strategic coordination, though experts point to potential risks of increased centralization.

Nearly 600 judges convened in the capital this week for the Second Forum of Azerbaijani Judges, a gathering that underscored both the government’s drive to modernize the judiciary and the enduring questions about its independence and effectiveness.

When Azerbaijan regained full sovereignty over Karabakh in 2023, policymakers in Baku began speaking of a “new geography” for the South Caucasus — a map reshaped by transit corridors, economic reintegration, and a push to position the country as a logistics node between China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Yet a less visible transformation is unfolding inside the country’s trade administration: a sweeping shift in how customs interacts with business.