Latest news in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, summary. Live

● Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is visiting Baku. Earlier, Iranian MFA representative Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran that Iran places great importance on developing relations with Azerbaijan and is interested in ensuring stable peace and security in the South Caucasus. He also announced that the Iranian foreign minister will soon visit Russia and Belarus.

● Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said that international support is needed to secure the economic benefits of the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the joint construction of transit routes and regional cooperation. He spoke about this during a panel at the Doha Forum, where Hajiyev participated together with Armenia’s Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan.

“Talking about peace is much easier than talking about conflict. In the past, Armenia and Azerbaijan constantly argued with each other, spoke about conflict and disagreements. Now we are talking about peace. While acknowledging the decisive role of the United States in this process, I want to emphasize the importance of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both countries have realized that above all, we need peace. We must create this peace, reach an agreement, and then present it to our international partners. We are now continuing the peacebuilding process on a bilateral basis, including cooperation at the level of civil society institutions. This approach has proven to be effective and productive,” said Hikmet Hajiyev.

● Speaking at the Doha Forum, Hikmet Hajiyev spoke about his conversation with popular American talk-show host Tucker Carlson. “I told him that his latest segment on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations was not positive enough to contribute to peace. He agreed with me. I suggested that next time he invite representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan together so we can genuinely discuss the real peace agenda. International media and the international community should support us. We are moving toward the future and want to protect our future generations from the wounds of war,” Hajiyev said.

● The detained chairman of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, Ali Kerimli, has fully rejected the charges against him, calling them political repression, and has refused to testify, the party reported. Official sources have not commented. Kerimli was arrested on December 2 on charges of attempting to seize power and forcibly change the constitutional order. Searches were carried out in his home, as well as in the apartment of his son-in-law Elnur Seidov and several of his supporters. Read more here

● President Ilham Aliyev thanked Kyrgyzstan for being one of the first countries to support Azerbaijan’s accession to the cooperation format with Central Asian states. Aliyev said this at a meeting in Baku with a delegation led by Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Bakyt Torobaev. According to Aliyev, this decision will play a major role in developing ties between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, including ensuring stable and uninterrupted cargo transit in both directions.

● The Azerbaijan–Kyrgyz joint investment fund, established by the two heads of state, has already begun financing its first projects, Aliyev said. He emphasized that Azerbaijan has allocated financial resources to form the fund’s capital and will provide additional funds if the number of projects increases.

● Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev met in Baku with Jassim Muhammad Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. They discussed opportunities to further expand cooperation.

● The importance of Azerbaijan–UAE cooperation was highlighted by President Ilham Aliyev during a meeting with leaders of the influential Arab companies 2PointZero and International Resources Holding. The UAE is a strategic partner of Azerbaijan in the field of renewable energy, Aliyev said.

● Baku hosted a two-day “D-8 Youth Dialogue” conference over the weekend. Participants adopted the Baku Declaration, committing to increasing youth involvement in decision-making, strengthening green skills, and expanding regional cooperation.
The forum is based on the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, which includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. In 2024, Azerbaijan joined the forum, expanding it to nine member states (D-9). Founded in 1997, the organization seeks to improve member states’ positions in the global economy, expand commercial ties, deepen participation in international governance, and raise living standards.

Photo Teymur Mammadov

Top stories in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia from 1-5 December, 2025