Day: July 8, 2025

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Azercell has officially joined the TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum), a global alliance of telecom and technology companies that drive digital transformation across the communications industry.

Azerbaijan has officially entered the investment-grade category, following a sovereign credit rating upgrade by international agency Moody’s from Ba1 to Baa3. This long-anticipated recognition reflects the country’s successful diversification policies, macroeconomic resilience, and deepening fiscal reforms. Notably, the upgraded rating confirms Azerbaijan’s transition toward an economy less dependent on oil and gas revenues—long considered a structural vulnerability.

The Venice Commission is seeking permission to intervene as a third party in the pending European Court of Human Rights case, GYLA and Others v. Georgia, in which more than 100 Georgian civil society and media groups are challenging Georgia’s Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, a.k.a. Foreign Agents Law.

The Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters, had previously issued a strong recommendation to Georgia to repeal the law, warning that it could have a chilling effect on civil society and freedom of expression.

“The [Venice Commission] seeking to intervene as a third party shows that the Commission views this law as a serious threat to the rule of law,” Saba Brachveli, a lawyer with the Civil Society Foundation, one of the applicant organizations, told Civil.ge, noting that such a move is “very rare.”

The Foreign Agents Law, the second such legislation introduced after a similar bill was dropped in 2023, was adopted amid mass protests in the spring of 2024. It requires organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as entities “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.” The law was widely referred to as the “Russian Law,” aimed at cracking down on civil society and dissent, while the GD claimed that it promoted transparency.

Although not yet strictly enforced, the law remains in effect despite Georgian Dream passing a new foreign agents law in 2025, which it claims is an exact copy of the American Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

The complaint to ECtHR was filed after Georgia’s Constitutional Court refused to temporarily suspend the law, though it agreed to consider the case.

In the complaint, filed October 21 with the Strasbourg Court by 120 civil society organizations, 16 media groups, and four individuals, the applicants allege that although the law has not yet been enforced, its mere enactment interferes with their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Applicants cite Articles 10 and 11, which protect freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association, along with Article 13 on the right to an effective remedy, Article 14 on the prohibition of discrimination, and Article 18 on the misuse of restrictions on rights.

Also Read:

• 25/04/2024 – Over 100 CSOs, Media Suspend Cooperation with Government
• 08/04/2024 – More than 400 CSOs Denounce Foreign Agents Bill

An outdated section of Baku’s main water supply line is being replaced due to its deteriorated condition, according to the Unified Water Supply Service for Major Cities under the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ADSEA), Azernews reports.

Putin expands military service opportunities for foreigners, retired military personnel

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree clarifying the procedure for military service. The document was published on the official portal for legal information, TASS reports. The decree allows foreigners to serve in the Russian army not only during martial law and conflicts, but also during mobilization. It also allows contracts to be signed with non-Russian citizens, who can serve until the end of mobilization or wartime. In addition, the new decree provides for the possibility of signing contracts with highly qualified specialists who have reached the age limit in structures such as the Foreign Intelligence Service, the FSB, and state security agencies. According to the explanatory note, the new procedure was approved “for the urgent adoption of additional measures to replenish the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” (TASS).

Lavrov: BRICS understands the reasons for Ukraine war, NATO is falling apart at the seams

Among the BRICS countries, there is a growing understanding of the reasons for the conflict in Ukraine, which are linked to the actions of the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference following the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. He also accused the West of unfair distribution of seats in the UN Security Council and stressed that internal “rebellion” is growing within NATO. Lavrov pointed to the IAEA’s responsibility for its ambiguous assessments of Iran’s nuclear program and called on the agency to avoid politicization. Russia, he said, is ready to help Tehran reprocess uranium. He also denied rumors about the creation of a single BRICS currency, stressing that the alliance is only beginning to reveal its potential (TASS).

Alexander Dugin: Europe is dropping its masks, preparing a blow to the “Russian world”

Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, considered one of the main ideologues of the Kremlin regime, notes in his article on RIA Novosti that MEP Andrius Kubilius voiced the EU’s key geopolitical views at the Conversations Tocqueville forum. According to Dugin, Kubilius criticized the MAGA movement in the U.S., accusing it of deviating from democracy, and stated that America is leaving Europe, giving way to the Pax Europea project – a new military alliance led by the EU. According to the author, with the weakening of Pax Americana, it is Europe that must take up the fight against Russia, relying on Ukraine as its main instrument of deterrence. Dugin notes that Kubilius called for the EU to be transformed into an offensive military-political bloc, and his speech included the idea of the need for a strategic defeat of Russia to deprive it of its great power status. Alexander Dugin, the architect of the radical version of the “Russian world,” points out that such frankness reveals the true intentions of the current elites of the European Union (ria.ru).

Akopov on Roman Starovoit’s death: “Tried to preserve his honor”

At a time when Russian officials are saying almost nothing about the suicide of former Transport Minister and former Kursk Region Governor Roman Starovoit, and the Kremlin media and propaganda are paying little attention to the issue, political commentator Petr Akopov tries to present the circumstances of the case in more detail in his article for RIA Novosti. According to him, the former minister’s suicide has become one of the most high-profile events in Russian politics in recent years. Akopov notes that Starovoit took his own life shortly after being dismissed from office amid an investigation into embezzlement during the construction of defensive structures in the Kursk region. Starovoit, who did not suffer from any serious illness and had no known personal problems, found himself in the shadow of a criminal case involving his successor, the author of the article claims. Although his guilt was not proven, according to Akopov, the threat of disgrace, possible trial, and moral responsibility for the victims and the failure of the fortifications could have pushed him to his decision. This tragic gesture is interpreted as an attempt to preserve his honor without waiting for public exposure, the author believes (ria.ru).

American blogger: Order and cleanness seen at VDNKh “utopian” for the U.S.

American blogger Tofurius Crane, who moved to Russia in 2023, experienced culture shock when he visited VDNKh in Moscow, as reported by Tsargrad, an ultra-conservative Russian media outlet targeting an Orthodox Christian and patriotic audience and promoting the ideas of the “Russian world,” traditionalism, and an anti-Western agenda. According to the media outlet, the blogger was struck by the cleanliness, well-kept flower beds, and absence of homeless people. In the U.S., he said, such places often turn into tent camps with high crime rates. Tsargrad notes that the blogger cited Skid Row in Los Angeles as an example, pointing out that nearly half of the residents there are homeless. According to Tofurius Crane, order and cleanliness are the norm for Russians, while for Americans this may seem almost utopian. In his opinion, Russians should appreciate these elements of everyday life, which are often unattainable in the West due to a negligent attitude towards public spaces and social problems (tsargrad.tv).