Day: August 4, 2025

As climate change accelerates and global energy markets evolve, countries worldwide are racing to expand their renewable energy capacity. Azerbaijan, a country traditionally known for its vast oil and gas reserves, is rapidly transforming its energy landscape by embracing clean, sustainable sources. Recent statistics reveal that Azerbaijan’s investment in renewable energy is paying off, with significant growth in solar and wind power production marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s energy transition.
According to the MP, the country’s solar output surged by 3.5 times, hitting 314.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in just six months. Overall, renewable energy production increased by about 15 percent to 2,330.1 million kWh, while total electricity production rose by 2.2 percent, reaching 13,849.3 million kWh. Wind power plants contributed 21.0 million kWh to this output…

A farewell ceremony is being held at the Azerbaijan State Academic Theater of Young Spectators for the prominent writer, novelist, playwright, critic, literary scholar, Doctor of Philological Sciences, professor, member of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, People’s Writer, recipient of the “Istiglal” Order, statesman and public figure Elchin Afandiyev, Azernews reports.

Hicham El Bouhmidi, a French freelance photojournalist who had been covering the capital’s ongoing protests, was recently denied entry to Georgia, a move that appears to be part of a broader pattern of border refusals targeting journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.

“After being interrogated and waiting for six hours at the Armenian-Georgian border I got handed the long-awaited paper,” the photographer wrote on Instagram on August 3, referring to the official entry refusal document. He said the official reason for denied entry was “other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation,” a vague provision frequently cited in similar cases.

El Bouhmidi noted that the same motive “has reportedly been used over the past months to refuse the entry in the country to fellow journalists reporting on the authoritarian slide of the Georgian government”, citing, among others, cases of fellow French journalists Jérôme Chobeaux, Clément Girardot, and Marylise Vigneau.

He also said that the same clause has been used by Georgian border authorities against Russian and Belarusian citizens who “confronted their regimes.” The photographer said he was expecting such a decision.

The streak of refusals has recently affected journalists and activists, including those who had lived in Georgia for years, many of whom believe their political views or reporting critical of the ruling Georgian Dream party were key factors in their rejection. In May, EU diplomat Simon Vanderbroucke was denied entry to Georgia, marking the first such reported case involving a diplomat.

In July, OC Media also reported that Dutch journalist Joost Bosman, who had for years covered developments in Georgia, including recent protests, was turned away at the Georgian border twice in a single month. The refusal was officially based on similarly vague grounds, with border officials additionally citing an administrative fine that, according to the journalist, had already been waived at the time of the first entry attempt.

In late May, the Polish and French embassies in Georgia issued advisories calling their citizens to consider potential entry risks, including participation in protests and social media activity, before traveling.

Also Read:

• 12/07/2025 – Former American Diplomat and Expat Denied Entry into Georgia
• 09/05/2025 – Belarusian Activist Denied Entry to Georgia
• 20/03/2025 – Lithuanian Rights Defender Denied Entry to Georgia
• 31/03/2025 – French Photojournalist Denied Entry to Georgia
• 19/12/2024 – RSF: Shocking Impunity for Violence Against Reporters in Georgia
• 04/12/2024 – International Press Groups Demand Immediate Action Amid Journalist Assaults in Tbilisi

“SOCAR Marine,” a subsidiary of SOCAR Türkiye specializing in maritime transport, has announced the start of its operations in the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for the purchase and sale of greenhouse gas emission allowances, Azernews reports, citing the company.
According to the information, this new initiative aims to assist…

Analysts suggest the sustained increase in interest income is closely tied to growing loan portfolios, higher demand for credit, and the broader resilience of the financial sector.

Armenia and Azerbaijan Leaders Planning to Meet in Washington?  Kyiv Post

The Revenue Service of Georgia said it was studying “possible violation of tax law” in a leasing deal between the family of Mamuka Khazaradze, jailed leader of the opposition Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition, and German Ambassador Peter Fischer.

The statement follows reports by pro-Georgian Dream media that the German Ambassador was leasing a residence from Khazaradze’s family, while it was “unknown” whether there was a leasing agreement and whether Khazaradze’s family was paying relevant taxes. Khazaradze’s lawyers confirmed the deal, but said there was an agreement “executed in compliance with all legal rules” and accused pro-GD media of spreading “distorted information.”

“Following the information disseminated in the public domain, an analysis of the issue revealed a possible violation of tax law, which is why the Revenue Service has already begun investigating the facts and will conduct tax control measures specified by law in order to fully study the information,” the Revenue Service said in its August 4 statement, citing “high public interest” in providing information about “possible tax evasion” in the leasing deal betwen Khazaradze family and the German diplomat.

Pro-government Rustavi 2 TV channel reported on August 1 that the German Ambassador’s “up to 300 square meter” residence on Kavlashvili Street in downtown Tbilisi belonged to Irina Khazaradze, the Lelo leader’s wife. The channel claimed it was unclear whether a formal lease agreement existed and whether the Khazaradze family was paying income tax on the arrangement.

Leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party seized on the media reports, with GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze saying the ambassador “put himself in an uncomfortable position and, more, he put his state, his Foreign Ministry, in an uncomfortable position.”

“Let us see, wait for the information regarding the finances, how the expenses were covered, taxes were paid, and so on, all of this is very interesting,” Kobakhidze told reporters in Shovi, Racha, on August 3. “When you rent a residence from a leader of a certain political party and then you present yourself as a staunch supporter of this political party, it raises a lot more questions.”

The lawyers of Khazaradze’s family issued a statement on August 2, calling the “distorted information” spread by the pro-government channel “another propagandistic attack” both on Khazaradze’s family and the German state.

“There is a notarized agreement (N221439682 / 21.10.2022) about leasing the property in possession of the Khazaradze family to the German Ambassador, executed in compliance with all legal rules,” the lawyers said. “Any other, i.e., undocumented cooperation with the diplomatic representation of the German Federation is impossible!”

Ambassador Fischer, a vocal critic of the Georgian Dream government’s anti-democratic actions, has faced repeated attacks from the ruling party and its supporters, including public verbal insults. Other European diplomats, including the EU Ambassador, have likewise been targets of sustained accusations and attacks by the ruling party leadership, drawing condemnation from Brussels.

Also Read:

• 23/06/2025 – Mamuka Khazaradze Sentenced to Eight Months in Jail in Second Verdict for Defying GD Commission
• 21/05/2025 – German Ambassador Verbally Assaulted in Public Amid Ongoing Attacks from Georgian Dream
• 15/05/2025 – Germany Calls on Georgian Dream to End False Narratives, Cease Attacks on Ambassador
• 10/07/2024 – Ambassador: Germany Stops New Financing, Pulls out from Drills, Keeps Student Visas