Azerbaijani News Roundup
According to Today.az, GDP per capita in Azerbaijan now exceeds $1,250. As a result, Azerbaijan has now left the category of a country considered to be poor. I think they must be talking about GNI per capita or GDP per capita not corrected for purchasing power parity but even so, one guesses that the distribution of wealth is another matter.
At the same time, democratization is another issue. The Azerbaijani online publication says that while the Council of Europe recognizes that reform is continuing in Azerbaijan, it is still insufficient. For his part, the Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev says once again that there will be no colored revolution in the country.
However, Civil,ge reports that a Georgian citizen has been arrested while attempting to illegally cross into Azerbaijan. Merab Jibuti is suspected of having links to the leader of the Yeni Fikir youth organization who was arrested for allegedly masterminding a coup attempt in Azerbaijan.
Incidentally, via Blogrel, Marianna’s ongoing coverage of the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan has been updated.
In terms of foreign policy, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister says that upon resolution of the Karabakh conflict “Armenia might be involved in great economical projects in the region if it withdraws from the occupied territories.”
In a more disturbing story, an assault on a driver whose ears were eaten leads Today.az to term the attacker a “cannibal maniac.” In an interview with the online publication, the Ukrainian Charge D’affairs in Baku says that “Ukraine will always support Azerbaijan’s position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
