Category: Azer News

On July 21, an official welcome ceremony was held in Berlin for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, AzerNEWS reports.

Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Friedrich Merz welcomed President Ilham Aliyev.

Members of the German delegation were presented to President Ilham Aliyev, while Members of the Azerbaijani delegation were presented to Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the President of Azerbaijan and the Federal Chancellor.

The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Germany were played.

President Ilham Aliyev and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz passed along the line of guard of honor.

A propane tanker sailing under the Liberian flag was damaged approximately 20 nautical miles off the Romanian coast following an explosion on board, AzerNEWS reports.

Romanian President Nicu?or Dan announced the incident in a post on X, identifying the vessel as the Gas Lisbon. According to the president, the tanker had departed from the Port of Alexandria in Egypt and was en route to the Port of Reni in Ukraine.

Romania’s Maritime Safety Agency quickly dispatched two rescue vessels to the scene. All crew members were safely evacuated, including three sailors who sustained injuries. The injured were transported ashore along with the rest of the crew.

President Dan said a tugboat had also been deployed to stabilize the damaged vessel and prevent it from drifting, which could have posed additional risks to maritime traffic in the area.

Meanwhile, Romanian news outlet Digi24 reported that the explosion occurred aboard the propane-laden tanker and cited sources suggesting the vessel was likely struck by a maritime drone. The origin of the suspected drone has not yet been established.

Trkiye will deliver an additional 30,000 food aid packages to northern Syria by the end of July as part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance efforts.

AzerNEWS reports that each aid package contains a copy of a letter from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressing solidarity with and support for the Syrian people.

In his message, Erdogan reaffirmed Trkiye’s long-standing commitment to its southern neighbor.

“Trkiye and its people have always stood by our Syrian brothers and sisters, and we always will. We have been neighbors for a thousand years, and we will remain so until the end of time. The key to Syria’s stable development lies in preserving our shared history and our common vision for the future. Trkiye will continue to support the Syrian people’s efforts toward development with all of its resources,” the letter states.

The humanitarian supplies are scheduled to be distributed among vulnerable families in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone in northern Syria.

The first trucks carrying the aid have already departed for Hatay Province, which borders Syria. The shipments include essential food items such as flour, tomato paste, sunflower oil, beans, pasta, rice, and other basic necessities.

The latest delivery underscores Trkiye’s continued humanitarian engagement in northern Syria, where millions of civilians remain dependent on international assistance.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has described the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway as a strategically important project that will eliminate the country’s transportation bottleneck and transform Kyrgyzstan into a key regional transit hub.

AzerNEWS reports that Japarov said Kyrgyzstan currently lacks direct access to major global transport corridors, making the country’s exports and imports heavily dependent on external factors.

“Once the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is completed, our country will no longer be a transportation dead end and will become a transit nation. One of the most important transport links between China and the rest of the world will pass through Kyrgyzstan,” Japarov said in an address to the nation.

The president noted that the new railway will fully integrate Kyrgyzstan into the international transportation and logistics network, strengthening the country’s economic independence and expanding its role in regional trade.

He emphasized that, over the long term, the railway is expected to generate a stable and sustainable source of revenue through transit services.

According to Japarov, income from transit transportation could eventually be comparable to the revenue generated by the Kumtor gold mine, one of Kyrgyzstan’s largest economic assets.

“Transit transportation will create a stable and long-term source of income for Kyrgyzstan comparable to the revenue currently generated by the Kumtor gold mine. In many ways, it will become the country’s second Kumtor,” he said.

Japarov also stressed that the successful implementation of such a large-scale infrastructure project requires the expertise and experience of international specialists.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is widely viewed as one of Central Asia’s most significant transport initiatives, with the potential to reshape regional trade routes by providing a shorter land connection between China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

A group of six Israeli tourists, including three former military personnel, was attacked at a remote campsite in northern Mongolia last week by an assailant reportedly armed with an axe, AzerNEWS reports.

The incident occurred on Monday evening as the group, consisting of three men and three women, was preparing to spend the night at the campsite.

According to the reports, the attacker, who was allegedly intoxicated, overheard the group speaking Hebrew before confronting them. The assailant reportedly shouted antisemitic slurs, including “Heil Hitler” and “Get out of here,” before launching the attack with weapons.

One of the Israeli tourists sustained a fractured jaw after being struck in the face.

The three former soldiers reportedly fought back during the assault. According to the victims’ accounts, one used a glass bottle to fend off the attacker, while another disarmed a man carrying a knife, allowing the group to escape with the assistance of a local driver.

The injured tourist was later flown back to Israel to receive medical treatment.

Local authorities invited the group to file a formal police complaint, but the tourists reportedly declined to do so.

Mongolian officials have condemned the attack.

Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov has called on Russia to launch military strikes against NATO member states providing military and intelligence support to Ukraine, arguing that Moscow should respond more aggressively to Western involvement in the conflict, AzerNEWS reports.

In a statement published on his Telegram channel on July 17, Kadyrov said Russia should begin targeting countries that, “hiding behind the NATO acronym, openly and brazenly provide Ukraine with weapons, intelligence, and other forms of support.”

Kadyrov argued that Russia should demonstrate its readiness to retaliate, saying NATO countries should “smell TNT” and “hear the roar of the Kalashnikov and the clatter of the T-90.”

“If they still cannot understand that Russia will not sit idly by and patiently watch everything that is happening, then the time has come not merely to explain it to them in plain language, but to hammer it into their filthy NATO throats. It’s time to open fire, and that’s that!” he wrote.

Israel has taken a regulatory step that could allow Nile crocodiles to be used as part of security measures around prisons, following a decision by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to change the legal classification of the reptiles, AzerNEWS reports via Israeli media.

Under the new regulations, Nile crocodiles are now defined as “captive-bred wildlife,” enabling authorized Israeli security agencies to keep the animals under strict supervision and according to guidelines established by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The regulatory change follows a proposal made in December by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who suggested using crocodiles around certain prisons to deter escape attempts by Palestinian security prisoners.

At the time, Ben Gvir promoted the idea on social media, writing, “Cursed terrorist, are you thinking of trying to escape? Think twice,” alongside an AI-generated image showing him holding a crocodile on a leash.

According to Israeli media reports, the proposal is primarily aimed at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, where many Hamas operatives were captured after the October 7, 2023 events. Under the plan, the crocodiles would reportedly be placed in designated perimeter areas as an additional security measure rather than inside prison facilities.

The new regulations stipulate that only authorized security bodies may keep the animals and only under conditions approved by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Israeli media reported that the authority had initially opposed the idea before the legal changes were introduced.

The proposal has drawn comparisons with the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention facility in Florida, which was established in an area surrounded by wetlands inhabited by alligators.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have held discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation, AzerNEWS reports.

vThe talks took place during a meeting between Deputy Economy Minister Samad Bashirli and Anna Bordon, the IMF’s mission chief for Azerbaijan.

The discussions focused on current and medium-term economic forecasts, structural reforms, and measures aimed at diversifying Azerbaijan’s economy. They also reviewed the Ministry of Economy’s work in these areas, as well as reforms in tax policy and tax administration.

The Azerbaijani side highlighted efforts to expand state support mechanisms for entrepreneurship, introduce new business development tools, and strengthen investment policies in the non-oil and gas sector. Opportunities for deeper cooperation with international financial institutions were also explored.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on issues of mutual interest.

President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Philippe, King of the Belgians.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

“Your Majesty,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you, and through you, all your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Kingdom of Belgium.

On this remarkable day, I convey my best wishes to you and wish the people of Belgium everlasting peace and prosperity.”

Armenian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into former President Serzh Sargsyan on suspicion of abuse of power over the sale of the historic Black Fortress in Gyumri while he was serving as the country’s defense minister, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, investigators have obtained prima facie evidence suggesting that in May 2005 Sargsyan authorized the direct sale of the Black Fortress, a nationally significant historical and cultural monument, together with a 0.7-hectare plot of land, to a private individual for AMD 23 million (approximately $63,000).

The Black Fortress, located in Armenia’s second-largest city of Gyumri, covers an area of 626.45 square meters and is classified as an immovable monument of national historical and cultural significance.

Investigators allege that the transaction was carried out without the required government decision authorizing the sale. As a result, the state reportedly lost ownership of the landmark, which was later omitted from a 2007 government list of state-owned historical and cultural monuments protected from privatization.

If formal charges are brought and Sargsyan is convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison under Armenian law.