Category: Auto Guid

A delegation led by Vandet Chea, Cambodia’s Minister of Post and Telecommunications, has paid a visit to Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Public Relations Department of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the visit was organized within the framework of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the State Agency and the Cambodian side in 2025.

The purpose of the visit is to gain first-hand insight into the operations of the ASAN Service model and to discuss the application of Azerbaijan’s advanced public service delivery practices in Cambodia.

The delegation visited the Victory Monument and the Alley of Martyrs, honoring the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The guests also visited ASAN Service Center, where the Chairman of the State Agency, Ulvi Mehdiyev, provided a detailed overview of the ASAN Service model, established at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev. He highlighted its citizen-centered approach, innovative solutions in public service delivery, and noted that Azerbaijan’s intellectual brand has been exported to more than 30 countries, including nations in Southeast Asia.

Minister Vandet Chea highly praised the ASAN Service experience, expressing his intention to introduce the successful model in Cambodia in the near future and emphasizing that the necessary steps would be taken to achieve this goal.

As part of the visit, representatives of the State Agency’s various structural divisions delivered comprehensive presentations on public service design, data-driven decision-making mechanisms implemented within ASAN Service, and other areas of expertise.

A century after the events that reshaped the intellectual map of the entire Turkic world, the First Turkological Congress in Baku is no longer perceived merely as an academic gathering of the interwar era. It stands instead as a decisive turning point in the history of twentieth-century humanistic thought.

Today, its legacy is discussed within academic circles, as well as in the broader political and cultural context of modern Azerbaijan and the wider Turkic world, where questions of language, identity, and cultural continuity have once again acquired strategic significance.

The First Turkological Congress,officially the First All-Union Turkological Congress opened on 26 February 1926 in Baku and continued until 6 March. Its venue was the emblematic Ismailiyya Palace, already regarded at the time as one of the city’s principal intellectual and civic landmarks.

The congress brought together 131 delegates: scholars, philologists, historians, ethnographers, writers, and public intellectuals from various Turkic-speaking regions of the Soviet Union, alongside invited international guests.

The proceedings were chaired by Samad aga Agamalioglu, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Azerbaijan SSR. The Presidium itself reflected the congress’s ambition: to construct a trans-Turkic scholarly platform within a shared intellectual space that transcended regional boundaries.

To grasp the significance of the congress, one must recall the intellectual atmosphere of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The question of script reform had long predated 1926. As early as the nineteenth century, the Azerbaijani thinker Mirza Fatali Akhundov had already raised the issue of reforming the Arabic script, proposing alternatives better suited to phonetic clarity and educational accessibility.

Later, reformist linguistic and cultural ideas were further developed by Jalil Mammadguluzade, Firidun bey Kocharli, Muhammad agha Shakhtakhtli, and others. By the early 1920s, Soviet Azerbaijan had already established commissions dedicated to Latinization, while newspapers began experimenting with the new alphabet.

In this sense, Baku in 1926 was not an accidental host city, but a genuine laboratory of linguistic modernization.

Over seventeen sessions, approximately thirty-eight reports were presented, covering a wide disciplinary spectrum,from historical linguistics and ethnography to pedagogy and terminological systems. Seven major thematic clusters structured the debates: alphabet reform, orthography, terminology, educational methodology, interlingual relations, literary standards, and the historical origins of Turkic languages.

Particular emphasis was placed on the transition to the Latin script. It was in Baku that the methodological and theoretical foundations of Latinization were articulated in a systematic form, later influencing language policy across multiple Soviet republics.

At the same time, the congress embodied the tensions of its era: between scholarly modernization and political instrumentalization, between intellectual universalism and emerging state-driven cultural engineering.

One of the most tangible outcomes of the congress was the Latinization movement among Turkic peoples. By 1929, the use of the Arabic script had been officially discontinued in several Soviet regions. However, by the late 1930s, a new reversal took place: the introduction of Cyrillic scripts, which effectively displaced many of the earlier reforms of the 1920s.

Thus, the ideas debated in Baku were only partially realized and later reshaped under shifting political conditions.

This year marks the centenary of the First All-Union Turkological Congress held in Baku. In Azerbaijan, Turkic Week is being held, featuring academic conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and cultural events dedicated to the legacy of the congress and the development of Turkology.

Within its framework, scholars and cultural figures discuss shared heritage, language policy, and academic cooperation among Turkic states.

Historians today view the First Turkological Congress as a complex phenomenon in which scholarly advancement and the ideological currents of its time were deeply intertwined. On one hand, it served as a foundational platform for linguistics, ethnography, and literary studies. On the other, it was embedded in the broader political transformations of the twentieth century, which profoundly affected languages, scripts, and intellectual traditions.

This year on June 28th Ukraine celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Constitution, a European country’s Magna Carta that embodies a constitutional process guided by democratic values, fundamental freedoms and reflects deeply rooted aspirations of a nation yearning to join the European Union. Ukraine’s Constitution and constitutional institutions are the fulcrum of vital principles that strongly encourage a multifaceted economic integration between the European Union and the Government of Ukraine.

Ukrainian constitutionalism has a rich legacy and represents its own culture of institution building, embodies deep historical national roots and ensures the rights of ethnic minority groups living in its territory. The various versions of the constitution, over the centuries represent the national character of Ukrainians, their way of life, linguistic treasures, cultural depth and relations with their neighboring European countries. The international community this year is observing a major anniversary of the Ukrainian constitutional thought and celebrates European Union’s strategic interest as it strengthens the economic and political integration with Kyiv.

During the Ukrainian Revolution of 1917-1921, the constitutional path of a long-suffering nation began immediately to take shape after the proclamation of the First Universal. A constitutional commission headed by Mykhailo Hrushevsky was established. The plan was for the Constitution to be adopted at the All-Ukrainian Constituent Assembly; however, the October Revolution of 1917 and the military aggression of Russian Bolsheviks against Ukraine marked a turning point in the socio-political life of XX Century Ukraine.

The document, officially titled ‘Statute on the State Structure, Rights, and Freedoms of the UPR,’ was adopted at a session of the Small Council on April 29th, the last day of the Central Rada’s existence. The first draft was adopted unanimously. Minor editorial amendments were made during the article-by-article reading.

The Constitution of the UPR contained 83 articles, grouped into 8 chapters. The UPR was proclaimed a sovereign state as ‘autonomous and independent from anyone.’ The Constitution guaranteed the parity of citizens, including a provision-progressive for its time-on the equality of men and women before the law, and contained a wide range of guarantees of individual rights. The death penalty was abolished, and corporal punishment was prohibited. Legislative power belonged to the National Assembly; executive power to the Council of People’s Ministers; and judicial power was headed by the General Court of the UNR. The foundations of decentralization were also introduced: ‘Without compromising its unified authority, the UNR grants its regions, districts, and communities broad rights of self-government, adhering to the principle of decentralization.’

Simultaneously, a certain degree of declarative language, the absence of provisions on state symbols, the fundamental principles of domestic and foreign policy, and the strict procedure for electing local and national authorities is a testimony to the short-term nature of the constitution-it was created for the transitional period of the formation of Ukrainian nationhood.

The Constitution of the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR) enshrined in law institutions that were new to the Ukrainian legal system, in particular, the institutes of administrative-territorial division, citizenship, and parliamentary immunity, among others. Unfortunately, the dissolution of the Ukrainian Central Rada and the establishment of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi’s regime meant that the provisions of Ukraine’s first Constitution of 1918 were never implemented.

The dynamic state-building journey of this period was halted by the prolonged occupation of Ukrainian lands by its eastern neighbor. During the existence of the Soviet Union, where authoritarianism and totalitarianism reached their severe levels, four fundamental laws were adopted over the course of several decades. However, all of them merely declared a certain set of democratic values, behind which a new empire was taking shape.

The Ukrainian society represents a wealth of tradition in the world history of institution building; Ukrainians with the Bender Constitution demonstrate their genuine interest and geopolitical affinity towards Western European Institutional traditions as well as embrace a free market economic system.

The name of ‘Bender Constitution’ stems from the fact that it was adopted at a Cossack council near the town of Bendery, in what is presently Moldova. Therefore, the Constitution was adopted in exile, outside Ukrainian territory. The title ‘Pylyp Orlyk’s Constitution’ appeared later and became the most widely known terminology.

The ‘Pacts and Constitutions of the Laws and Liberties of the Zaporizhian Army’ defined the rights and duties of the hetman, it outlined the principles of the future state structure, and established advanced mechanisms to limits of power. This legal document was signed by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk and Kost Hordiienko (Ukrainian: ????? ?????????, a Zaporozhian Cossack Kish, the koshovo ataman of the Zaporizhian Sich (a semi-autonomous polity and proto state of Zaporozhian Cossacks that existed between the 16th to 18th centuries). Orlyk’s military statecraft and remarkable vision, wisdom to create a Ukrainian statehood represent a millennium old aspiration of the Ukrainian people to have their independent nation, a thriving society that is fully integrated with the democratic institutions of the Western World.

The early 18th-century Constitution of Ukraine, drafted by Pylyp Stepanovych Orlyk, consisted of a preamble and 16 chapters. According to its provisions, legislative power belonged to the General Council, with the duties of a modern national parliament. The highest executive power was exercised by the Hetman and the Council of General Officers, while judicial matters fell under the jurisdiction of the General Court. It also embodied the Treaties and Resolutions of the Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Army.

The preamble outlined the history of the Ukrainian people and justified Ukraine’s right to independent statehood and full sovereignty. For the early 18th century, such ideas were exceptionally innovative. One of the Constitution’s key provisions was the demand for Ukraine’s political and ecclesiastical separation from the Muscovite state, as well as the restoration of Ukrainian statehood. The principles enshrined in it-the separation of powers, the limitation of the head of state’s authority, and the accountability of the government to society-were far ahead of their time and made a significant contribution to the development of European political and legal thought.

This constitution of Ukraine distinctively represents a great leap forward in the European history of constitutionalism and beyond. Its Latin language original document is kept in the National Archives of Sweden.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has criticized Armenia’s pursuit of European Union integration while remaining a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), arguing that Yerevan cannot simultaneously benefit from both integration paths, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Galuzin, it is unacceptable for Armenia to enshrine EU integration as a legislative objective while continuing to enjoy the economic advantages provided by EAEU membership.

Commenting on the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, Galuzin said Russia’s participation would only strengthen the initiative.

He noted that the planned transport corridor is expected to be constructed using the Russian railway gauge to ensure uninterrupted rail connectivity with Azerbaijan. Galuzin also recalled that Armenia’s railway network is operated by South Caucasus Railway CJSC, a subsidiary of Russian Railways.

The deputy foreign minister stressed that any transit transportation through Armenian territory should comply with the rules and regulations of the EAEU, emphasizing that Armenia has repeatedly stated it has no intention of leaving the bloc.

Galuzin further argued that the project must also take Russia’s security interests into account, noting that the proposed route would pass through areas where Armenia’s borders with Trkiye and Iran are guarded by Russian border forces.

He also suggested that, following the recent US-Israeli military actions against Iran, Tehran would likely not welcome an increased US presence along its northern border.

“Thus, in any case, the position of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union should be taken into account. We believe that Russia’s participation can only have a positive impact on the project,” Galuzin said

Lionel Messi has once again made football history at the FIFA World Cup, becoming the first player ever to score in seven consecutive matches across World Cup tournaments, AzerNEWS reports.

The captain of the Argentina national team continued his incredible scoring streak, finding the net in the match against Jordan. This goal further confirmed his extraordinary consistency on the biggest stage in world football.

As a result, Messi has now scored in seven straight World Cup games – a feat no player had ever achieved before.

He has also extended his all-time World Cup goal record to 19 goals, pulling further ahead of his closest challengers, Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé, who both remain on 16 goals.

An interesting fact: Messi is among a very small group of players to score in four different World Cups, showcasing his remarkable longevity and elite performance over more than 15 years at the highest level. His legacy continues to grow, not only through records but also through his ability to perform in decisive moments on football’s biggest stage.

The war in Ukraine has produced many surprises, but perhaps none is as paradoxical as the emergence of fuel shortages inside one of the world’s largest energy powers. Over the past months, Ukrainian drones have systematically targeted transportation hubs in Russian-occupied territories and oil refineries deep inside Russia. Initially, the consequences were visible primarily in the territories annexed by Russia and in areas close to the front line, particularly in Belgorod. Soon, however, the problem spread much further.

Today, reports of fuel shortages, long queues at petrol stations, and rationing measures have emerged from dozens of Russian regions, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Crimea, fuel distribution has reportedly become increasingly restricted, with priority being given to state institutions and essential services. In some regions, petrol stations have imposed limits on daily sales, allowing motorists to purchase only limited quantities of fuel.

At first glance, one might argue that such developments are natural. Russia is, after all, fighting the largest war in Europe since 1945. Wars disrupt supply chains, destroy infrastructure, and create shortages. After all, a broader historical comparison raises questions.

Since February 2022, Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, fuel depots, transportation networks, and industrial facilities. Despite suffering far greater physical destruction and possessing significantly fewer economic and natural resources than Russia, Ukraine has managed to avoid a prolonged nationwide fuel crisis. Kyiv experienced a severe fuel shortage during the early months of the invasion, but it rapidly diversified imports, created alternative supply routes through Europe, and adapted its logistics system.

Russia’s case is different and therefore deserves closer scrutiny.

The Russian Federation is often described as a militarized state. From education and industry to transportation and shipping, many sectors have long been designed with dual-use capabilities in mind. The country possesses some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves and is frequently referred to as a “gas station with nuclear weapons.” A state that prides itself on strategic depth, resource abundance, and wartime preparedness should, at least in theory, be better equipped to absorb attacks on several oil refineries.

The emergence of widespread fuel shortages, therefore, gives rise to two competing explanations.

The first explanation is highly speculative but nevertheless popular among certain observers of Russian politics. According to this interpretation, influential individuals or groups inside the system may seek to weaken the President’s public legitimacy by allowing or even encouraging shortages to develop. Such arguments gain traction because the memory of the late Soviet shortages and the traumatic collapse of the USSR still occupies a special place in Russian collective consciousness.

The panic buying that swept through Russia during the first weeks of the invasion in 2022 was revealing. Russians rushed to stores to stockpile sugar, buckwheat, flour, and other essential products. The fear of scarcity remains deeply embedded in society. To the Kremlin’s credit, it managed that panic remarkably well. The expected run on supermarkets never turned into a broader crisis of confidence.

Some speculative observers, therefore, argue that a gradual erosion of public confidence could be engineered through shortages and administrative failures, paving the way for a political “savior” to emerge later and promise stability.

There is, however, little evidence supporting such claims. They remain in the realm of political speculation.

A second explanation appears more convincing.

The larger and more centralized a state becomes, the more difficult it is to govern efficiently. This was one of the central contradictions of the Soviet Union, and echoes of that experience may still be present in modern Russia.

For example, the USSR possessed virtually everything necessary to become an agricultural superpower: vast fertile lands, enormous water resources, cheap energy, and an immense labor force. Yet the Soviet Union repeatedly struggled to provide its citizens with basic food products and became a major importer of grain.

The paradox was striking. Meat, butter, and dairy products often disappeared from store shelves while remaining available through informal networks and black markets. Scarcity became a defining feature of everyday Soviet life not because the country lacked resources, but because the system struggled to allocate and distribute them efficiently.

The post-Soviet space today demonstrates just how enormous its agricultural potential actually is. Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan are among the world’s most important wheat producers and exporters. Before the war, Russia and Ukraine together accounted for a substantial share of global wheat and sunflower oil exports. The broader post-Soviet region also plays an important role in dairy production and certain livestock sectors.

The Soviet experience, therefore, contains an important lesson: possessing vast resources does not automatically guarantee abundance. Institutional capacity, efficient logistics, and effective governance matter just as much.

The current fuel shortages in Russia may reveal precisely this weakness. They suggest that despite years of military preparation and repeated emphasis on strategic resilience, the Russian state may still suffer from the same structural deficiencies that plagued the Soviet system: excessive centralization, bureaucratic inefficiency, poor coordination, and the persistence of informal networks that profit from scarcity.

It is difficult to prove, but it would be naive to assume that wartime shortages do not create opportunities for profiteering. Throughout history, crises have enriched those with privileged access to resources. Wars often generate not only heroes and victims but also speculators and rent-seekers.

This is why the present situation is potentially dangerous.

The black market did not destroy the Soviet Union. However, chronic shortages and the perception that the state could no longer guarantee basic necessities severely damaged public trust in the system. Legitimacy eroded not only because of economic decline but also because citizens increasingly believed that the state had lost its capacity to perform its most fundamental functions.

Russia is not the Soviet Union, and there is little reason to expect a similar collapse. However, history rarely repeats itself in identical form. If fuel shortages continue into the harvest season, the consequences could extend beyond long queues at petrol stations. Agriculture is highly dependent on fuel. A prolonged disruption could contribute to higher food prices, supply chain difficulties, and renewed public anxiety about scarcity.

For a country whose national identity is closely linked to abundance, strategic depth, and energy wealth, the emergence of fuel shortages is more than an economic problem. It is a test of state capacity. And in Russia, questions about state capacity have often turned into questions about political legitimacy.

From AI-assisted high-complexity cardiovascular interventions, where digital algorithms pre-simulate intricate surgical workflows, accurately predict intraoperative risks, and tailor personalized treatment plans to significantly boost procedural efficiency, to AI-powered FFRangio systems that slash measurement time from 20 minutes to just four… As China, the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market, is rapidly transcending its traditional role from a low-cost manufacturing base to a co-developer of cutting-edge therapies and a vital node in global R and D networks, an increasing number of multinational pharmaceutical companies are reshaping their investment and partnership strategies on the ground.

According to Ms. Cao Shan, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Greater China at Medtronic, China is rapidly emerging as a major global source of medical technology innovation.

‘Medtronic’s China strategy is evolving from being a traditional importer of advanced technologies to becoming a co-builder of the local innovation ecosystem,’ she said.

In late 2025, the company opened its first global digital innovation center in Beijing’s Yizhuang Economic Development Zone. Cao noted that healthcare systems worldwide face a longstanding ‘impossible triangle’: delivering high-quality care at low cost while maintaining broad accessibility. AI, she argued, has the potential to help resolve this challenge.

China’s AI healthcare sector is expanding rapidly. According to Huafu Securities, the sector exceeded RMB 100 billion in 2025 and is expected to surpass RMB 150 billion in 2026, maintaining annual growth of more than 30 percent. Policy support and capital investment are driving growth across a complete industrial ecosystem spanning algorithms, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare applications. Medical imaging, telemedicine, and chronic disease management are among the most commercially advanced segments.

As a result, international healthcare companies are no longer viewing China solely as a sales market. Increasingly, they are embedding themselves within the country’s innovation chain.

Medtronic now works with nearly 7,000 supply-chain partners across China. In fiscal year 2026, its procurement spending in China reached approximately RMB 5.7 billion, with local suppliers accounting for 90 percent of indirect procurement. In direct procurement-including key components, raw materials, and contract manufacturing-around 90 percent of locally sourced products are supplied to Medtronic facilities worldwide, creating a deeply integrated and globally connected manufacturing ecosystem. Products from its four manufacturing bases in China are exported to markets around the world.

Another U.S. medical giant, GE HealthCare, is also elevating the strategic importance of its China-based operations. Its manufacturing base in Tianjin has grown into the only facility outside the U.S. capable of producing both MRI magnets and complete MRI systems, gaining RMB 500 million in investment within 5 years from 2024. In Shanghai, it has set up one of its largest diagnostic imaging contrast media production sites, and in Wuxi, it has placed its largest global ultrasound R and D and manufacturing center.

‘Annual procurement in China now exceeds RMB 10 billion, supported by nearly 160 specialized high-tech local suppliers. This footprint has been enabled by China’s comprehensive industrial ecosystem, mature supporting industries, and favorable business environment,’ Wang Yi, Vice President of GE HealthCare Greater China, said.

According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration, as biomedicine becomes one of the most important frontiers in global drug development, Chinese biotech patent filings tripled from around 5,000 in 2015 to 15,000 in 2024, increasing their share of global filings to more than 30 percent. In biomanufacturing, China’s share of global patent applications exceeded two-thirds of the global total by 2025. In genetic testing, Chinese applicants contributed the majority of global growth, with their share rising to approximately 80 percent in 2025.

For U.S. pharma companies operating in China, this means lower cost, higher profit margin, and a competitive edge being reshaped. A report by Wellington Management attributed China’s edge to cost, speed, and capital efficiency. Clinical trial costs in China are about 70% of those in the United States, and per capita R and D expenditure is only a quarter of that in the U.S. Additionally, the development cycle from candidate drug nomination to approval is 30% to 40% faster than in the U.S., saving approximately four years in time to market.

For U.S. consumers, these partnerships can translate into broader access to innovative medicines at lower cost. Last month, China’s Biotech Pharmaceuticals and U.S.-based Accord BioPharma announced that their jointly developed golimumab biosimilar had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As the world’s first approved biosimilar to golimumab, the drug is expected to provide a more affordable treatment option for millions of Americans living with chronic autoimmune diseases.

The need is significant. According to the latest Annual Drug Shortages Report released by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) earlier this month, the average duration of a drug shortage in the United States has exceeded five years, up from roughly two years in 2019.

Against this backdrop, U.S. pharmaceutical companies are placing increasingly large bets on China. Eli Lilly, which recorded 18% growth in revenue in China last year, has just entered a partnership with a Shanghai-based biotech firm to jointly develop innovative drug candidates targeting multiple diseases with global commercial potential, following its first innovation incubation platform outside the U.S., launched last year. In May, Pfizer signed a $10.5 billion oncology drug development agreement with Innovent Bio, and Bristol Myers Squibb reached a global strategic partnership with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, with the potential value of the deal exceeding $15 billion.

China is also increasingly becoming an important source of high-value research data. In 2025, Chinese pharmaceutical companies completed 157 outbound licensing agreements with a total disclosed value of US$135.7 billion, most involving major European and American pharmaceutical firms. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, outbound licensing transactions by Chinese biotech companies exceeded US$60 billion-nearly half of the previous year’s total.

China Research Institute Puhua forecasts that China’s AI drug-discovery industry will maintain annual growth of more than 15 percent between 2025 and 2030. Measures are being continuously introduced aimed at improving the operating environment for foreign-invested healthcare companies.

On Monday, the Chinese government released a new action plan to stabilize and improve foreign investment. The measures include expanding pilot programs for cross-border segmented production of pharmaceuticals, broadening the scope of biotechnology and wholly foreign-owned hospital pilot projects, supporting the inclusion of more innovative drugs and medical devices in commercial insurance programs, and facilitating market access for medicines produced by foreign-invested enterprises.

According to Lin Honghong, Vice Chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the technological revolution is fundamentally reshaping healthcare innovation.

‘In the past, it typically took around 15 years for a new drug to move from the laboratory to the market,’ she said. ‘Today, artificial intelligence can reduce that timeline to as little as 18 months to three years, while dramatically improving clinical trial efficiency. As a result, international cooperation in healthcare is increasingly moving beyond trade and investment toward ecosystem co-development, underscoring the growing importance of open cooperation as a driver of medical and industrial progress.’

Azerbaijan’s Culture Minister, Adil Karimli, has addressed the opening ceremony of the Turkic World Week held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, AzerNEWS reports.

In his speech, the minister said that events of the Turkic World Week, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Turkological Congress, would also continue in Karabakh, with programs to be held in the cities of Shusha, Khankandi and Aghdam.

The Culture Minister noted that every city being rebuilt in Azerbaijan’s territories liberated from occupation, every restored monument, and every revitalized space reflect the revival of Azerbaijan and the spirit of solidarity of the Turkic world as a whole.

“We believe that this congress will become a landmark event in the shared history of the Turkic world and will create a valuable legacy for future generations,” he said.

The Turkic World Week, running until July 3, is being organized by Azerbaijan’s Culture Ministry, the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), and the Ministry of Science and Education, in cooperation with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), TURKSOY, Baku State University, the Turkic Academy, and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation.

The event has brought together around 80 prominent Turkologists, researchers, and scholars from leading academic institutions in 20 countries, including Turkic states, along with representatives of international Turkic organizations.

On June 29, the first meeting of the Digital Development Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan was held under the chairmanship of First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva.

First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva delivered a speech at the meeting.

Speech by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva

– Dear colleagues,

Today we are holding the first meeting of the Digital Development Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In February of this year, under the chairmanship of President Ilham Aliyev, a meeting dedicated to our country’s new digital development strategy was held. In accordance with the instructions given at that meeting, the Action Plan for Digital Development was approved. A concrete Roadmap has been defined to guide the development of digitalization, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the innovation ecosystem over the next three years. The Council’s main task is to coordinate the activities of various state institutions, establish a unified approach, and ensure the timely and effective implementation of the adopted decisions. Our goal is not only to introduce new technologies but also to give a strong impetus to the country’s economy, build a modern innovation ecosystem, attract local and foreign investment, support local startups, and create a more efficient public administration system.

Artificial intelligence is no longer the future-it is the main driving force of development today. At the same time, its role in ensuring the security of states is growing and has already come to the forefront. It is no secret that in the world’s leading countries, the development of artificial intelligence is advancing faster than previously forecast. This, in turn, creates both new opportunities and new threats. We must be prepared to address emerging challenges, particularly the risks associated with cybersecurity and information security.

Our work requires the active, coordinated, and effective engagement of all state institutions. Our goal is to transform Azerbaijan into one of the leading countries in the region in the fields of digital development and artificial intelligence. We must study international experience and adopt successful models. At the same time, all decisions must be based on Azerbaijan’s national interests and address the country’s specific needs.

At today’s meeting, Rashad Nabiyev will present a report on the work carried out and the results achieved since the previous meeting.

Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev briefed the First Vice-President on the work carried out and the tasks ahead regarding the implementation of the “Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Development for 2026-2028.”

He noted that the Action Plan covers 58 initiatives in the areas of digitalization, artificial intelligence, the innovation ecosystem, and cybersecurity. Touching upon the work carried out in the field of digitalization, the Minister said that roadmaps had been prepared with 40 state institutions, 13 of which had already been approved or were at the approval stage.

Rashad Nabiyev also provided information on the establishment of the National Data Center and emphasized that work continues on migrating state information systems to the government cloud and constructing a new data center. Noting that the number of users of the “mygov” platform had increased from 2.7 million to 3.5 million over the past three months, while its range of services had been expanded, the Minister said that several applications had already been integrated into the platform and that services from seven more state applications would be made available to citizens by the end of the year.

The Minister emphasized that artificial intelligence is one of the Action Plan’s key priorities. He said that the use of AI solutions is being expanded within “mygov” and other state institutions, and that a virtual citizen assistant has already been introduced.

Touching upon the development of the innovation ecosystem, Rashad Nabiyev noted that work had begun on establishing the Azerbaijan Resilience Cluster to bring together companies operating in areas that strengthen technological sovereignty. He also highlighted ongoing efforts in the field of cybersecurity, noting that work continues on establishing the National Security Operations Center, the National Cyber Incident Response Center, and the Digital Forensics Center, as well as creating a unified national cybersecurity platform to ensure operational information exchange between the public and private sectors.

Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Economic Issues and Innovative Development Policy of the Presidential Administration Shahmar Movsumov briefed the First Vice-President on legislative reforms in the digital sphere.

Shahmar Movsumov noted that, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, digital transformation is being consistently implemented as one of the main priorities of state policy. Recalling that the Digital Development Council was established and the “Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Development in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026-2028” was approved by a presidential decree signed in February this year, he said that, under the leadership of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, comprehensive reforms are being prepared in line with the Council’s strategic priorities and its instructions to establish a modern legislative framework.

He emphasized that this represents the most comprehensive and fundamental reform initiative in the post-Soviet space aimed at developing and regulating the digital ecosystem.

Touching upon the areas covered by the reform, Shahmar Movsumov said they include ensuring legal certainty, creating a competitive tax environment, financing innovation, encouraging scientific research and innovation, attracting talent, expanding market access opportunities, and strengthening cybersecurity regulation.

The Presidential Assistant noted that one of the reforms’ key features is that they are based on international best practices, with successful models from various countries studied during the preparation of the proposed legislative changes.

Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev briefed the First Vice-President on the work carried out to advance the digitalization of education in the country and on future plans.

The Minister touched upon the provision of a unified internet network for educational institutions, the “Digital School” project, the digitalization of data across all levels of education, and the digitization of educational documents, noting that the digitalization of teaching is planned as the next stage.

Emin Amrullayev also highlighted the “Digital Skills” and “STEAM Azerbaijan” projects being implemented in schools to develop students’ digital competencies, emphasizing that strengthening human capital in this field remains one of the main priorities.

The meeting continued with discussions.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Moscow and Baku have resolved all issues linked to the aftermath of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane crash that occurred on December 25, 2024, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking in a special interview with RTVI, Galuzin was asked whether the issue of compensation had been fully settled and whether all payments had been completed.

“We have resolved all issues related to the consequences of the crash of the Azerbaijani airliner. However, these matters concern specific individuals who have endured a terrible tragedy and suffered an irreparable loss. Therefore, I would prefer not to go into further details,” Galuzin said.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft, operating Flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25, 2024. The disaster claimed the lives of 38 people, while 29 others survived.