Category: Azer News

A large-scale transformation of the global energy system is essential if the world is to keep global warming within the 1.5°C target by 2030, said Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov during the Baku Climate Action Week, Azernews reports.

Speaking at the event, Shahbazov outlined the scale of change required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

‘To stay on track with the Paris Agreement, the world must increase its renewable energy capacity to 11,000 gigawatts by 2030, expand energy storage to 1,500 gigawatts, build or upgrade 25 million kilometers of power grids, and develop new energy corridors connecting generation and consumption centers,’ the minister stated.

He noted that while 582 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity – referred to as “green power” – was added globally in the past year alone, this is not enough to meet the required pace of change.

‘According to IRENA, a 16.6% annual growth rate in renewable capacity is needed to achieve these targets,’ Shahbazov emphasized.

The minister also pointed out that a sustainable energy transition cannot succeed without significant investment in modern grids, storage systems, and efficient transmission infrastructure.

‘Advancing clean energy requires more than just increasing capacity – it demands smarter, more resilient systems to store and transmit energy reliably,’ he said.

The Baku Climate Action Week brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and climate experts to discuss concrete steps toward achieving global climate and energy goals. Azerbaijan is set to host the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), further positioning itself as a key player in the global energy and climate dialogue.

Since its inception in 2018 with ride-hailing solutions, Dubai based Yango Group has rapidly emerged as a global digital ecosystem including mobility, e-commerce, food delivery, fintech, entertainment, and more, across 30 countries in the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. It focuses on transforming global technologies into everyday services by adapting cutting-edge solutions for each unique market.

In a special interview with Azernews, Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Business Officer at Yango Group, and Mushvig Hasanov, Country Manager at Yango Azerbaijan, shared insights into Yango’s impressive journey, its rapid expansion across emerging markets, and the company’s forward-looking vision including Azerbaijani market.

Hyperlocality as one of the business development pillars

Adebayo explained that achieving scale in any business requires a strong foundation, much like building a tall structure: ‘The deeper the foundation, the more stories you can build. For Yango Group, this rests on four key elements: capital, technology, operations and local needs’.

Unlike many big tech companies that prioritized developed markets, Yango Group deliberately chose a different path. Seven years ago, the company committed to building in emerging markets, betting on their exponential growth potential. When Yango Ride entered Côte d’Ivoire in 2018, internet penetration was just 18%, smartphones cost roughly $1,000, and mobile internet data was prohibitively expensive. Yet, Yango saw what others missed: the rapid spread of Facebook and WhatsApp revealed pent-up demand for digitalisation, while falling device and mobile data costs would soon open the floodgates to more e-services. Today, smartphone penetration has risen to 70% and its cost has dropped fivefold, indeed opening up the market for explosive and rapid growth of digital platforms.

This philosophy of finding signals in hyperlocality has shaped Yango’s strategy and approach to market development. The company realised that ride-hailing is just one of the touchpoints in people’s daily lives. ‘The future is not in isolated services, the real opportunity lies in building a connected ecosystem – products that work together to make life more convenient and efficient, designed and localized for each market’. The results validate this thesis. Today, Yango operates in over 30 countries, enabling more than 2 million people to earn income through its platform, and serving over 50 million monthly users.

While many multinational companies struggle between offering a uniform international product or adapting locally, Yango prioritizes serving people where they are today, rather than expecting users to adapt to a global template. For instance, in Lima, Peru, where city zones form ‘mini cities’ due to social activity patterns, Yango designed mini zones within its app, allowing partner drivers to operate only within their preferred areas.

Another example is Pakistan, where Yango introduced a rickshaw tariff tapping into a cultural phenomenon deeply embedded in daily life. Rickshaws offer an affordable and flexible transport option, especially in the country’s busy urban areas. Yango also partnered with local artists to craft distinctive branding for the service, featuring vibrant artwork that reflects the community’s cultural essence. The goal was not only to promote this option but also to honor a deeply rooted tradition while making it easily accessible to users through the app.This approach embodies a broader philosophy: technology and products must adapt to users’ lives, not vice versa.

Hyperlocality then isn’t just about localization, it’s Yango’s way of turning global scale to local trust. ‘By embedding into communities, respecting local context, and creating services that feel like ‘our own’ in every market, our goal is to build foundations for enriching city living across the world’, says Adebayo.

He explained that Yango views its operations as part of broader ‘city services’ – how people move, pay, eat, and deliver in urban environments. The company actively brings together restaurants, taxi companies and transportation providers, delivery services, digital content providers, and more, helping them distribute through its platform. This inclusive philosophy makes partnerships fundamental to Yango Group’s DNA.

Partnership as the bedrock of growth

‘The company’s primary partnership is with the countries and cities where it operates, committing capital, innovation, and products to help digitize urban services and improve lives’ continues Adebayo. This foundational partnership extends to governments and citizens alike, ensuring services reflect local needs.

Yango is open to integrating its solutions directly into city infrastructure. In Lima, Bogotá and several other markets, Yango has partnered with local providers to install live bus tags, allowing residents to see in real time where buses are and when they will arrive. Since buses remain the backbone of urban transport in these cities, especially during rush hours, this simple integration has brought enormous convenience. Similar projects are under discussion in Baku and other cities.

Equally critical is Yango’s mapping and navigation infrastructure. Far from being an internal tool, Yango Maps is now widely used by partner taxi companies and integrated into city systems. By investing in the continuous local update of maps, traffic flows, and incident reporting, Yango not only helps drivers respond faster to road conditions but also provides cities with better visibility on how people move.

$100 million investments and forward-looking vision for Azerbaijani market

Yango Group has invested $100 million into the Azerbaijani market, underscoring its long-term commitment to the country’s digital transformation. Mushvig Hasanov, Country Manager at Yango Azerbaijan, highlighted the company’s rapid progress since its entry nearly three years ago: ‘We began with Yango Ride, and today Yango has grown into a super-app that streamlines everyday tasks. From ride-hailing to restaurant and grocery delivery, logistics, ‘Navigator’ for real-time traffic routing, and ‘Transport’ for public transit planning-everything is now available in one familiar app.’

This investment reinforces Yango’s role as both a technology partner and urban services enabler, bringing global innovation while tailoring solutions to Azerbaijan’s local needs.

Azerbaijan: a regional hub for innovation

State investigator Eva Bergqvist has submitted a new proposal that would make the use of illegal IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services punishable by law for private individuals in Sweden. According to Bergqvist, as many as 15% of Swedish households currently access such services, which she describes as a serious and growing problem, Azernews reports.

The proposed legislation includes fines for end users and stricter penalties for those who provide or distribute illegal IPTV content. Authorities such as the police, public prosecutors, the Tax Agency, and the Swedish Patent and Registration Office are expected to ramp up their efforts in combating the issue.

The report also outlines technical and regulatory measures, including the possibility of blocking illegal streams at the IP level and restricting advertisements and payment services connected to such platforms. Similar approaches have already been implemented in several other European countries, such as the UK, Italy, and Germany.

Bergqvist stressed that illegal IPTV poses not only an economic risk to Sweden’s entertainment industry but also a potential national security threat. ‘One can only imagine news broadcasts manipulated with artificial intelligence-this isn’t just about pirated movies anymore,’ she warned.

Sweden’s Minister of Culture, Parisa Liljestrand, expressed strong support for the initiative, stating that the government intends to act swiftly. ‘We take this issue seriously and will move forward with the legislative process without delay,’ she said.

The popularity of illegal IPTV services has surged across Europe in recent years, largely due to the high cost of legal subscriptions and the growing demand for on-demand content. However, authorities are increasingly concerned that many of these services are linked to organized crime networks, money laundering, and even malware distribution. As governments begin to crack down, users may soon face real consequences for streaming pirated content from the comfort of their homes.

On September 30, an official welcome ceremony was held in Baku for the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, who arrived in the Republic of Azerbaijan for an official visit, Azernews reports.

A guard of honor was arranged for the President of Italy in the square, decorated with the national flags of both countries.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed President of Italy Sergio Mattarella.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the President of Italy.

The national anthems of the Italian Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan were played.

The guard of honor marched in front of President Ilham Aliyev and President Sergio Mattarella to the accompaniment of a military march.

UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025) has kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, Azernews reports.

The Azerbaijani delegation, led by the Culture Minister Adil Karimli participates in the event.

During the speeches, the significance of the three-day conference was emphasized, and its goals were outlined.

The discussions also covered the tasks ahead and the necessary steps to address emerging challenges.

An interesting concert program was presented afterward.

Within the framework of the conference, Minister Adil Karimli held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Serbia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The discussions focused on cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Adil Karimli also had a meeting with Gökhan Yazgi, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkiye.

As part of the conference, the “3rd High-Level Ministerial Dialogue of the Friends Group on Culture-Based Climate Action” was organized on September 29. Minister Adil Karimli gave a speech at this event.

Azerbaijan is set to significantly boost electricity production from renewable energy sources in the coming years, according to Rana Humbatova, Deputy Director of the State Agency on Renewable Energy Sources under the Ministry of Energy, Azernews reports.

Speaking at Baku Climate Action Week 2025, she highlighted that as of the end of 2024, the share of ‘green energy’ in the country’s energy mix has already reached 13.5% and is expected to grow further with the implementation of new projects.

Humbatova explained that Azerbaijan offers investors two main mechanisms for participation in the renewable sector: public auctions and direct negotiations. The first auction was held within the framework of COP29, where the Chinese company Universal won the rights to develop a 400 MW solar power plant at a competitive rate of just 3.54 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Strategic partners in Azerbaijan’s green energy drive include major international companies such as Masdar (UAE), ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia), and bp (UK). Notably, in 2023, a 230 MW solar power plant developed in partnership with Masdar was successfully commissioned, and another 240 MW wind power project with ACWA Power is scheduled to be launched in the near future.

Humbatova also emphasized that increasing the share of renewables will contribute not only to higher installed capacity but also to greater actual volumes of clean energy production across the country.

YouTube, owned by Google, has agreed to pay U.S. President Donald Trump $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit related to the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. While Trump’s YouTube channel was not permanently deleted, he was banned from uploading new videos. His full access was only restored in 2023, Azernews reports.

With this settlement, Google becomes the last of the three major tech companies to resolve lawsuits filed by Trump in July 2021. At the time, he accused YouTube, Facebook (Meta), and Twitter (now X), along with their CEOs, of illegally censoring conservative voices and violating his right to free speech.

Earlier this year, Meta agreed to pay approximately $25 million in January, and X paid around $10 million in February to settle similar cases brought by Trump.

According to Trump’s legal team, the lawsuits weren’t just about restoring his accounts but about highlighting what he called the “danger Big Tech poses to free expression.” Interestingly, even after regaining access to these platforms, Trump has largely favored using his own social media network, Truth Social, which he launched in 2022 to promote what he calls an ‘uncensored alternative.’

These settlements suggest that the tech giants preferred to resolve the matter quietly rather than risk prolonged legal battles with significant political and reputational stakes.

AzInTelecom LLC, a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, is actively participating in the INMerge Innovation Summit 2025, one of the region’s largest innovation events, taking place at the Baku Congress Center. Over the two-day summit, AzInTelecom’s delegation has been engaging with representatives from local and international companies, discussing potential partnerships and collaboration opportunities, Azernews reports.

As part of its presence at the summit, AzInTelecom is operating an interactive booth in the exhibition area, where visitors can explore the company’s latest innovative services and digital products. Attendees can also participate in a digital prize wheel game, offering a chance to win branded giveaways while learning about the company’s cutting-edge solutions.

Held annually, the INMerge Innovation Summit is recognized as the region’s leading platform for corporate innovation. The summit aims to bring together top technology companies, public institutions, and private sector leaders from Azerbaijan and beyond to foster collaboration and innovation. This year’s summit features high-profile representatives from global tech giants such as Netflix, OpenAI, and NVIDIA, and has attracted over 1,000 founders, investors, corporate executives, and policymakers from more than 30 countries.

AzInTelecom delivers secure, scalable, and user-friendly digital services tailored to modern business needs. Its portfolio includes robust cloud solutions, next-generation digital signature and ID services, cybersecurity tools, and efficiency-driven digital platforms. By offering these technologies, AzInTelecom empowers organizations to lead in the digital transformation space across Azerbaijan and the broader region.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has welcomed the announcement of the Comprehensive Plan for the Resolution of the Gaza Conflict, recently put forward by US President Donald Trump, Azernews reports.

Baku views the initiative as an important step toward establishing lasting peace in the region.

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic, delivered press statements on September 30, Azernews reports.

First, the President of Azerbaijan made his statement.

Statement

by President Ilham Aliyev

– Dear Mr. President.

Dear guests.

I once again sincerely welcome you to Azerbaijan.

This is President of Italy Mr. Mattarella’s second visit to Azerbaijan. The first official visit took place seven years ago. Today’s visit shows that Italian-Azerbaijani relations are developing very successfully and that we are true strategic partners.

Our meetings are frequent in nature. Last year, I was a guest of President Mattarella, and during the meeting, I invited him to pay another official visit to Azerbaijan. I am glad that he has accepted my invitation and is with us today.

There are two strategic partnership documents between us. The first document was signed in 2015. The second document – the Joint Declaration on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – was signed five years ago. Over the years, our relations have developed very rapidly and cover various directions. Political relations are at the highest level. As I mentioned, we meet often. In the economic sphere, Italy is our top trade partner and our trade turnover is increasing by the year. Many important projects have been implemented in the energy sector. In particular, by exporting Azerbaijani oil and gas to Italy, we have been able to send a large amount of natural resources to world markets. At the same time, we have also contributed to the energy security of many countries.

Today, during our conversation with President Mattarella, we recalled his previous visit. At that time, the implementation of the TAP project was on the agenda. There were various problematic issues, and President Mattarella’s personal intervention in this issue after the visit as well as his efforts in regulating these issues, allowed the TAP project to be successfully implemented. Starting from 2020, Azerbaijani gas has been exported to Italy through this project. Today, Azerbaijan exports natural gas to 14 countries through the Southern Gas Corridor. Our scope is increasing year after year, and today Azerbaijan ranks first in the world in terms of the geographical scope of natural gas exported through pipelines. Azerbaijani oil ranks first in Italy’s energy balance and Azerbaijani gas ranks second. In other words, this cooperation is a sign of a strong partnership, and we have supported each other as reliable partners for many years. If it were not for these sincere relations, if it were not for mutual trust, the implementation of these projects would not have been possible.

I informed President Mattarella today that we are currently working with the European Union on the export of electricity. The preparation of a feasibility study for the construction of power lines is underway. It will probably be ready soon. Thus, the path opened by TAP and the Southern Gas Corridor today paves the way for larger projects. Electricity, including that to be transmitted from Central Asia to Azerbaijan and then to Europe across the Caspian Sea, will further enhance the scope of our cooperation.

Last time, when President Mattarella was on a visit to Azerbaijan, we jointly attended the opening of a large industrial enterprise built by Italian companies in Sumgayit. During this visit, tomorrow, we will celebrate the opening of the Italian-Azerbaijani University. In other words, this momentum, the expansion of these cooperation frameworks is primarily evidence of sincere relations. In other words, cooperation in the energy and industrial sectors has also paved the way for cooperation in the humanitarian sector. Hundreds of students are already studying at the Italian-Azerbaijani University, and this will be a new educational institution for us. Those already studying here will not only have good knowledge, but also, naturally, become ambassadors of Italy in Azerbaijan and of Azerbaijan in Italy. So this will further strengthen our friendship.

During today’s talks, we also discussed European Union-Azerbaijan relations. Italy has always supported the development of Azerbaijan’s relations with the European Union, and today we feel this. Positive steps have been taken in European Union-Azerbaijan relations recently. This naturally pleases us.

In short, our strategic partnership is manifested both in official documents and in life. I do believe that our experience can serve as an example for building relations between countries located far from each other.

Dear Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan once again.

x x x

Then, the Italian President spoke.

Statement

by President Sergio Mattarella

– I am grateful to Mr. President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation to visit Azerbaijan again. I am also grateful for the hospitality extended to me and to our delegation. There is great friendship, mutual and a well-established understanding between us, and the relations between Italy and Azerbaijan are developing. Thank you very much for reminding me again of my visit seven years ago. This was, in fact, very symbolic, and Mr. President, thank you for inviting me to your country this time. Of course, tomorrow we will inaugurate the student campus of the Italy-Azerbaijan University. This also means that Italian universities, on the one hand, and Azerbaijani universities, on the other, will cooperate.

Mr. President told me that seven years ago we were at the inauguration of a large industrial facility. He also noted that this has a very symbolic significance. This has already opened a new path for our energy and industrial cooperation in the future. Italy and Azerbaijan have already started cooperating in the cultural, humanitarian and educational sectors. This actually means the full and effective implementation of our strategic partnership and the agreement signed 10 years ago. This develops the relations between our countries. It is also evidence of cooperation not only in the industrial and energy sectors, but also in the cultural sector.

Mr. President noted here that the numerous students who will go to the university that we will inaugurate tomorrow will further strengthen the friendship between our countries. Of course, when it comes to these relations, the relations between our countries are very good, and as you can see, we are organizing several events. Now we will have yet another event. Of course, we value this very highly. Our cooperation, Azerbaijan’s openness to us, the work it has done with us and our cooperation are obvious.

I told President Aliyev that when it comes to your cooperation with the European Union, Italy will take steps on its side. I would like to specifically note that Azerbaijan is a very influential partner in a broad sense. The European Union sees this and, of course, our cooperation with you will be very important in this context. We will do our very best to ensure that these relations grow, develop and always cover more and more new areas, serving the well-being of our countries and peoples. For this purpose, I have come to Baku on this visit. I am grateful to Mr. President for inviting me to your country for the second time. Of course, you also mentioned the role of Italy here. I express my gratitude to you. I am also grateful for your hospitality.

Let me note that tomorrow will be an important day in the field of culture and education between Italy and Azerbaijan, and we will participate in a joint event tomorrow morning.

The step we have taken with President Aliyev will be one that serves our mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation. Italy is very pleased with this friendship and cooperation and intends to raise it to the highest level.