Aliyev and Putin shook hands, but did not communicate

The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin greeted each other with a handshake on the sidelines of a parade in China. However, this did not continue with communication.

Ilham Aliyev, together with First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, arrived at Tiananmen Square, where they were met by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Konstantin Zatulin said that the handshake between the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan at the SCO summit is a normal manifestation of protocol, and not a political signal.

“I cannot imagine Putin turning away from Aliyev and not shaking hands. Of course, there is protocol,” he noted.

It was previously reported that Putin ordered state media to begin a campaign to criticize the policies of the Azerbaijani president, which Moscow considers “anti-Russian.”

In a recent interview with Al Arabiya, Aliyev drew parallels between the current conflict in Ukraine and the Soviet Union's annexation of Azerbaijan in 1920, calling both events "a Russian invasion and occupation."

Последние новости

Politics

The European Union has once again emphasized that Georgia is moving in the "wrong direction"

16 March 2026

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, expressed concern about the situation in Georgia, which is "taking a serious turn," emphasizing that the country's government is "moving in the wrong direction." This statement was made ahead of a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU member states.

Economy

North Caucasus regions lead in official unemployment rates

16 March 2026

According to the results of the fourth quarter of 2025, the North Caucasus regions ranked last in Russia's unemployment rankings, according to a RIA Novosti study. Ingushetia had the worst rate: 25.5% of the economically active population was unemployed, and the job search period lasted 5.8 months.

Politics

Pashinyan accused the Armenian opposition of working for foreign interests

15 March 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that a significant portion of the current opposition in the country is aligned with foreign interests. Many of its representatives, according to the head of government, effectively act as foreign emissaries.

Human rights

Repressive laws force Georgian human rights activists into crisis mode

15 March 2026

The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA), one of the country's oldest human rights organizations, has announced it is entering a crisis mode. From now on, it will provide legal assistance only in strategic litigation.