In Azerbaijan, the special quarantine regime has been extended until 06:00 on July 1, 2024. On 11 March, Prime Minister Ali Assadov signed the relevant resolution.
The special quarantine regime due to the COVID-19 pandemic was introduced in Azerbaijan in March 2020.
The government has provided no explanation for the extension of the quarantine regime, despite WHO having lifted the pandemic status a year ago.
Today, only one restriction remains in force in Azerbaijan: the closure of land borders with neighboring countries (Russia, Georgia, Iran, Armenia).
The Georgian ministry of economy reports that due to the closure of the land border with neighboring Azerbaijan, 1.5 million tourists were unable to visit Georgia, causing a $400 million loss.
Deputy Minister of Economy of Georgia, Mariam Kvrivishvili, noted that the closed land border with Azerbaijan has prevented Georgia from fully recovering its tourist flows after the pandemic.
For nearly four years, travel from Azerbaijan to Georgia and back has only been possible by air. Before the pandemic, besides buses, there were also trains between the two countries.
Due to the closed border with Azerbaijan, the tourist flow to Georgia has only recovered to 92 percent of the pre-pandemic situation, says Deputy Minister Kvrivishvili.
“We hope this decision changes soon, given our country lost over 1.5 million tourists and around $400 million,” the deputy minister stated.
Some experts think Azerbaijan is keeping its borders shut due to threats from Iran and Russia, and claim that despite a demand in Azerbaijan to open the border with Georgia so that Azerbaijanis living in the neighboring country can visit their relatives, it can’t selectively open the border only with Georgia without having to explain why it is not opening borders with other countries.
