Energy & Markets: Azerbaijan’s state budget was built on a $65 Brent assumption, but the oil-price buffer is widening as Brent moves above the benchmark, with the EIA now expecting higher averages amid Middle East disruptions. Oil & Gas Tech: Emerson won a multi-million-dollar automation contract for BP’s $2.9bn Shah Deniz Compression project, supplying integrated control and safety systems for a remote offshore compression hub. Regional Trade & Peace Economics: Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to be moving from conflict toward practical cooperation, with Yerevan preparing constitutional work tied to a final peace deal and talk of resuming exports to Azerbaijan. Electricity Cooperation: Armenia’s PM Nikol Pashinyan warned AI-driven demand could force a rethink of energy strategy, while Aliyev reiterated Azerbaijan’s push to supply electricity to Europe via Georgia and Türkiye and to route transmission through Armenia. Transport & Connectivity: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan completed the marine section of the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line “Sumgayit–Aktau,” strengthening the Middle Corridor’s digital backbone. Business & Finance: Fitch praised Azerbaijan’s Basel III banking reforms for improving loss-absorption buffers, while Veyseloglu submitted its first UN Global Compact progress report in the FMCG sector. Nakhchivan Investment Pulse: Nakhchivan attracted AZN 156.7m in fixed capital investments (+30.9%) and saw foreign trade turnover rise 31.1% to $90.4m. Corporate/ESG & Resilience: Azercell expanded its Crisis Management Group project with emergency response training across regions. Diplomacy & Culture: Azerbaijan and Romania discussed cooperation during a visit, and Baku will host the Baku International Arts Festival with major international theatre productions. Geopolitics Watch: A US report on a “shadow trans-shipment network” named Azerbaijan among countries accused of enabling tariff evasion.