The country already leads in vaccination rates in the South Caucasus. Many expect the new rules to drive a black market for fake vaccination passports.
The coronavirus inoculation program is the first in the Caucasus and Central Asia, starting out with Chinese vaccines but incorporating Russian and Western ones at later stages.
The COVID-19 vaccination experiences of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia show that if you’re a small and poor country, you need to rely on powerful friends.
The Georgian government’s strict, successful early response earned it political dividends. But with a new outbreak, that success is coming under question.
Tofig Yagublu was detained shortly after the president warned that the opposition was using the coronavirus to destabilize Azerbaijan. Now even pro-government MPs are calling for his release.
Crowds are flocking to visit a new botanical wonderland that stands as testimony to the sway the billionaire chairman of the country’s ruling party holds over the nation.