Article content I remember first hearing of Azerbaijan back in 1990, when I read headlines about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia. For weeks, maybe months, Canadian correspondents joined international ones reporting from Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. Over the years, I’ve not kept up with events in the former Soviet republic, at least, not enough. But when I found out in 2017 that Azerbaijan was to hold its first Formula One Grand Prix, one of only 32 countries to do so, I marvelled. Good for Baku, I thought. It’s back in the news, but as host of a prestigious international event, not the scene of conflict.