Category: Azer News

The ongoing unrest in Iran has not impacted rail freight transport between Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic, Azernews reports, according to a statement from Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) in response to a Trend inquiry.

ADY confirmed that cargo shipments along the North-South Corridor towards Iran are continuing as usual.

“Last year, 665,000 tons of cargo were transported via the North-South Corridor. At the Astara Terminal, over 13,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) containers were handled, marking an increase of approximately 65% compared to the same period in 2024,” the company added.

It is worth noting that since December 28, 2025, protests have erupted in Iran following a sharp depreciation of the national currency. The wave of protests has now been ongoing for over two weeks, gripping the country.

Acting on the instructions of the Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan), Sahiba Gafarova, Azerbaijani parliamentarian and Vice-President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Sevil Mikayilova, participated in the 298th session of the IPU Executive Committee.

As reported by Azernews, the event, organized by Qatar’s Advisory Council (parliament), took place in Doha on January 13-14.

During the session, participants discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda. The discussions focused primarily on assessing the implementation of the IPU’s current strategy and outlining the main directions for the new five-year strategy.

In addition, several organizational and parliamentary matters were reviewed, aimed at strengthening the IPU’s role and enhancing the efficiency of its mechanisms.

TotalEnergies and Bapco Energies are launching BxT Trading, an equally owned trading joint venture backed by flows from Bapco Energies’ Refinery. The signing ceremony was witnessed yesterday by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of Bapco Energies, and Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies in Abu Dhabi, Azernews reports.

As a competitive new player in the Middle East, BxT Trading will support Bahrain’s oil industry by leveraging its downstream portfolio for maximizing value and broadening its access to global markets. Through this joint venture, Bapco Energies will benefit from TotalEnergies’ global expertise in trading and will develop advanced trading, pricing, analysis, and risk management capabilities.

With BxT Trading, TotalEnergies is strengthening its trading position in the Middle East, where the Company already has trading activities, in addition to its international hubs in Houston, Geneva and Singapore. This new initiative enhances the trading teams’ responsiveness and agility, reinforcing their local footprint that enables them to better address regional specificities.

His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and Chairman of Bapco Energies announced: ‘The launch of BxT Trading reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to forging long-term strategic partnerships with leading global energy companies. BxT Trading represents a strategic step forward for Bapco Energies and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Through this partnership with TotalEnergies, we are enhancing our global trading capabilities, strengthening our downstream value chain, and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a competitive and trusted player in the international energy markets.’

Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, stated: ‘We are happy about this new partnership with Bahrain and Bapco Energies, which strengthens our presence in the Middle East. BxT Trading reflects our long-standing commitment to act as a trusted partner in the region, dedicated to innovation, operational excellence and value creation.’

The countdown to Eurovision 2026 is officially on. As fans across Europe eagerly anticipate the glittering spectacle in Austria, the mystery of the semi-final line-ups has finally been unveiled, Azernews reports.

And now, Azerbaijan’s spot on the grand Eurovision stage has been revealed, promising another thrilling performance in one of the contest’s most hotly anticipated shows.

During the draw held in Austria, the host country of this year’s competition, it was revealed that Azerbaijan’s representative will take the stage in the first half of the second semi-final.

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026 after Austria’s victory at last year’s contest in Basel with JJ’s song “Wasted Love.”

Vienna is hosting Eurovision for the third time, having previously hosted in 1967 and 2015, and this year’s live shows will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle arena with the first semi-final on May 12, the second semi-final on May 14, and the grand final on May 16.

On January 12, 2026, the official semi-final allocation draw took place at Vienna’s City Hall.

This draw determined which semi-final each participating country will perform in, as well as whether it will appear in the first or second half of the show. In total, 35 broadcasters are expected to compete at Eurovision 2026.

As the contest approaches, each country will reveal its selected artist and song, and the final performance order, which often has a significant impact on viewer impressions, will be announced closer to the live shows.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan reached the Top 5 in five consecutive contests – 3rd in 2009, 5th in 2010, 1st in 2011, 4th in 2012, and 2nd in 2013.

Azerbaijan marked its debut in 2008 with the duo of Elnur and Samir, who managed to become eighth in the final with their song Day After Day.

The brilliant duet of Aysel and Arash, which represented Azerbaijan next year, took third place at the song contest, while Safura Alizada, who represented the country at the Eurovision 2010 in Oslo, came fifth.

On its fourth attempt with Ell and Nikki’s song Running Scared, the Land of Fire won the event, bringing the contest to Baku’s Crystal Hall in 2012. Ell and Nikki were the first mixed-gender duo to win the contest since 1963 and the first winners from Azerbaijan.

In 2018, Aysel Mammadova performed brilliantly at the Eurovision 2018 semi-final, but she couldn’t make it to the final. The singer represented Azerbaijan with the song X My Heart.

Azerbaijan’s Chingiz Mustafayev impressed all Eurovision fans with his stunning performance in 2019. The singer finished in eighth place in the song contest.

In 2020, the song contest was cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, fans of the music contest had a great chance to enjoy a spectacular show called Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light, featuring 41 songs from that year’s entries.

During the show, Samira Efendi pleased Eurovision fans with the song Cleopatra about trusting your gut instinct, standing up for yourself, and being a “Queen” – even when things get tough and especially if someone betrays or hurts you.

Next year, Efendi thrilled the audience with her hit song Mata Hari, which features ethnic motives based on traditional Azerbaijani musical instruments, such as zurna (trumpet) and nagara (drum), as well as melodies from the Azerbaijani folk dance “Yalli”.

In 2022, Nadir Rustamli represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2022. The singer left Eurovision fans speechless with the song Fade To Black, co-written by Andreas Stone, Anders Rethov, Sebastian Schub, and Thomas Stengard. He came 16th, scoring 106 points.

In 2023, young talents Tural and Turan Bagmanovlar rocked the Eurovision stage in Liverpool with the song Tell Me More.

The year 2023 marked Azerbaijan’s 15th involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest since its debut in 2008.

Fahree (Fahri Ismayilov) and Ilkin Dovlatov represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2024 with the song? “Öznl? Apar”.

The song is co-written? by Fahree, Edgar Ravin, Hasan Haydar, Mila Miles, and Mado Salikh.

On 4 February 2025, ITV announced that Mamagama had been internally chosen to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, with the song “Run with U”.

Mamagama performed in the first semifinal on 13 May 2025, where they failed to qualify for the grand final.

GRU Space has announced plans to build the first hotels on the Moon, with the goal of welcoming tourists from Earth starting in 2032, Azernews reports.

The company cites the rapid progress in commercial spaceflight as a key enabler, noting that SpaceX’s innovations have dramatically reduced the cost of launching cargo into orbit in recent years.

GRU Space also expects that launch costs will continue to drop thanks to growing competition in the space industry, including efforts from Blue Origin and numerous startups worldwide developing their own reusable rocket technologies.

The first lunar hotels will consist of inflatable modules designed to accommodate two to four people. These modules, along with the tourists themselves, will be transported directly to the Moon. GRU Space estimates the price per tourist at $416,000, based on a schedule of three flights per year.

Looking ahead, the company envisions these lunar hotels offering a luxury space tourism experience, with stunning views of Earth, zero-gravity activities, and even opportunities for guests to participate in scientific experiments. While ambitious, this plan highlights the accelerating trend of commercial space tourism, bringing humanity closer to the era when staying on the Moon could become a reality rather than just science fiction.

The Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center, operating under the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Uzbekistan, continues to play a key role in strengthening humanitarian, cultural, and educational ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Through its wide-ranging initiatives, the Center actively promotes Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage while enhancing academic dialogue and long-term cooperation between institutions of the two countries.

As part of ongoing efforts, a meeting took place between the leadership of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center and the Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy, Azernews reports.

The meeting brought together Akif Marifli, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center, and Shakarbay Janikulov, Rector of the Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy.

During the discussions, the sides explored prospects for implementing joint projects in the fields of science, education, and culture.

They also highlighted the dynamic development of high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, noting that these ties continue to strengthen thanks to the far-sighted and consistent policies of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The talks concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement. Under the agreement, the establishment of the Khalid Said Khojayev Azerbaijan Studies Teaching and Research Center is planned at the university.

The new center will serve as a specialized platform for the study of Azerbaijan’s history, culture, language, and literature, as well as for the development of academic and scientific cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Plans include conducting joint research projects, implementing academic exchange programs, organizing scholarly and educational events, and supporting initiatives aimed at enhancing the intellectual potential of young people.

The center will bear the name of Khalid Said Khojayev, an outstanding scholar, poet, and translator who played a significant role in shaping scientific and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

The Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Tashkent, is an institution that operates under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan.

The center strengthens cultural, educational, scientific, and humanitarian ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

It hosts museums that highlight the history of Azerbaijan, the legacy of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and the historical friendship between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The center facilities also support cultural and educational activities, including music, dance, and folklore ensembles, and provide space for events that promote Azerbaijani traditions.

Over the years, the Cultural Center has played a significant role in advancing bilateral cooperation through diverse programs and initiatives. It has been recognized as one of the most active foreign cultural centers in Uzbekistan, engaging media, public figures, and civil society in cultural dialogue.

Through exhibitions, presentations, and collaborations with local institutions, the center fosters greater understanding of Azerbaijan’s culture, history, and language.

In addition to its own events, the center contributes to broader educational and cultural cooperation by supporting initiatives such as establishing Azerbaijani cultural corners in libraries and facilitating academic exchange programs, further reinforcing the cultural bridge between the two nations.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev reviewed the reconstruction works in Ashaghi Oratagh village of the Aghdara district on January 13, Azernews reports.

The head of state was briefed on the social projects implemented in the village.

Ashaghi Oratagh is located in the eponymous administrative-territorial district of Aghdara, in a foothill area. Before the occupation, the village population was primarily engaged in viticulture, animal husbandry, grain farming, and tobacco cultivation. The village also had a school, a club, a library, and a medical point. Ashaghi Oratagh was liberated from occupation as a result of the anti-terror operation conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in 2023.

The village has a total of 308 individual houses, of which 148 were unfit for use and 160 were partially usable. Currently, 100 houses have been restored and are ready for habitation. Within the year, an additional 60 houses are planned for major repair and restoration. So far, 31 families, totaling 119 people, have returned to the village.

Significant work has also been carried out on social infrastructure. Two transformers and a gas line have been restored, while new electricity, gas, and communication lines have been installed. A water pump has been commissioned, water reservoirs with a total capacity of 560 cubic meters have been cleaned, and a subartesian well has been repaired. Nearly 7 kilometers of internal village roads have been restored. Additionally, a park and a football pitch have been created for residents’ recreation.

The head of state also visited the family of Anar Rustamov, who recently returned to the village, and familiarized himself with the conditions in their newly restored house.

The 6th Republican Championship for Young Culinary Students, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Culinary Association (ANCA), was held in conjunction with ANCA’s reporting and election conference in Baku, Azernews reports.

The opening ceremony featured welcoming speeches by Aygun Aliyeva, Executive Director of the State Support to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) of Azerbaijan, as well as representatives from government bodies, professional and public organisations, educational institutions, and leading experts and masters of culinary art. Speakers highly praised ANCA’s activities in developing and promoting Azerbaijan’s national culinary heritage.

The championship brought together young culinary students from higher and vocational educational institutions in Baku, Sumgayit, Barda, Tartar, Gabala, Neftchala, Shabran, Ismayilli, and other regions of the country.

Following the competition, winners were announced across various categories.

At the reporting and election conference, ANCA President, holder of the Order of Shohrat, Honoured Cultural Figure, Doctor of Philosophy in History, and Professor Tahir Amiraslanov delivered a brief overview of the association’s history and its activities. The event also included an award ceremony honouring individuals who have supported ANCA over many years.

During the conference, reports covering the past five years were presented and approved by a majority vote. A new leadership team was elected for the next five-year term, including the president, vice president, board of directors, audit commission, board of trustees, and restaurateurs’ council. Tahir Amiraslanov was re-elected as ANCA President, while Rasmia Allahverdiyeva was elected Vice President.

The event concluded with an awards ceremony for the championship winners and the presentation of certificates to graduates of the “Chef” and “Pastry Chef” courses organized by ANCA in cooperation with the Azerbaijan State Employment Agency.

On January 13, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev examined the Master Plan for the city of Aghdara, Azernews reports.

Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture, briefed the Head of State on the Master Plan.

According to the plan, the city’s residential area will be expanded from 444 hectares to 522 hectares. The city’s population is projected to reach 14,000 people over a 20-year perspective period. The conceptual scheme of the Master Plan includes a city center, individual and low-density residential areas, as well as multifunctional and public-business zones. Additionally, plans are in place to establish a terrace park, a riverside boulevard, and agrotourism, industrial, and logistics zones. Alongside the Master Plan, detailed solutions have been developed for the initial stage of Aghdara’s reconstruction, which envisions a total housing fund of 420,000 square meters and the construction of an 80-bed hospital, five schools with a capacity of 2,520 students, five kindergartens for 840 children, and a vocational school. In the first phase, a 104-hectare city center will be developed, making it possible for 3,590 people to reside in the city by 2030, where the road and street network will span 46.8 kilometers and bicycle lanes will reach 10 kilometers in length. Furthermore, within the framework of the project, architectural designs for both public and residential buildings have already been finalized.

After reviewing the Master Plan, the Head of State provided relevant instructions and directives.

X X X

Following the review, residential buildings intended for the military personnel of the Ministry of Defense were commissioned in Aghdara.

Repair and restoration work has been carried out on a total of three buildings for the military personnel of the Ministry of Defense in Aghdara. Of the 72 apartments in these four- and five-story buildings, 8 are one-room, 36 are two-room, 24 are three-room, and 4 are four-room units. Every condition has been created here for the comfortable living and effective organization of leisure time for the servicemen and their families; the apartments are fully equipped with water, gas, electricity, and internet, as well as furniture sets. Extensive landscaping has also been conducted around the buildings, with new greenery planted and dedicated corners created for the residents’ relaxation.

The protests that began on December 28, 2025, and engulfed all of Iran, exposed many internal cracks within the country. While the global media and the media of neighbouring countries mostly highlighted fractures within the government, it was also noticeable that there were certain cracks among the protesters themselves.

One of these cracks was the limited or partial participation of Iranian Azerbaijanis in these protests. It should be noted that Azerbaijanis hold a unique place in Iran’s statehood and history. In detail, no ethnic group in Iran makes up 50% of the population. It is not clear whether the national ethnic majority belongs to the Persians or the Azerbaijanis. Additionally, with only minor interruptions from the Arab conquest until the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1920s, Iran was officially ruled by the Azerbaijani dynasties. In fact, even today, Iran’s highest-ranking religious leader, Khamenei, and the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, are Azerbaijani.

Furthermore, the founder of the Safavid Empire, who is considered the founder of the modern Iranian state, was also Azerbaijani. Although from 1920 to the 1970s, Iranian governance linked state traditions to the Persian empires of the Medes and the Achaemenids, they were forced to share power with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis. More precisely, it is known from history that the state religion of both empires was Zoroastrianism, and when the shahs ascended the throne, they had to visit on food the centre of Zoroastrianism in Atropatene (Azerbaijan) from the capital. This legitimised their rule. In other words, Iranian Azerbaijan has been one of the state’s most dominant and active ethnic groups.

Despite all this, the fact that Azerbaijanis stayed away from the protests raises doubts about whether the protests could achieve their goals.

So, what is the reason for Azerbaijanis keeping their distance from these protests? Ahmad Obali, the founder of Gnaz TV, an Azerbaijani activist and political émigré, expressed his view on the matter. Ahmed Obali noted that Southern Azerbaijanis initially did not join these protests. In fact, during the first week, they largely stayed away.

‘First, our national activists, as well as Azerbaijanis active on social media, stated that they did not join the protests because they were called upon by Raza Pahlavi and the People’s Mojahedin Organisation. There is a sensitivity and resentment toward these two groups, especially toward the Pahlavi dynasty and its current heir. The response is that if they invite us, we do not join,’ Ahmed Obali noted.

On the other hand, Obali emphasised that in several of his television appearances, he stressed that staying at home is not the solution. He warned that a vacuum cannot remain empty-if people do not act, others will step in to fill it.

‘We must take the squares, the streets and protest locations, and express our national demands and grievances. Finally, organisations in Southern Azerbaijan also called people to the streets. Although the calls were formally made last Saturday, they began to circulate two days prior. Following these calls, seven cities in Southern Azerbaijan joined the protests on Thursday, and, if I am not mistaken, eleven cities participated on Saturday. Interestingly, videos emerged from the protests in Khoy on Thursday showing people chanting: ‘Azerbaijan is honour, Pahlavi is dishonour.’ At the same time, they also chanted Azerbaijani slogans such as ‘Neither Shahist nor Sheikhist, nationalist, nationalist.’ In Tabriz, Ardebil, Marand, and Maragha, essentially all cities where protests took place on Friday, there were anti-Pahlavi slogans alongside demands specific to Southern Azerbaijan, such as freedom, justice, and national governance. From this perspective, we can say that Azerbaijanis participated partially. However, they were expressing their own demands, not the ones coming from Tehran,’ he opined.

Obali also reminded that most leaders of the Southern Azerbaijani national movement are imprisoned. He named the political figures like Alireza Farshid, Abbas Lisani, and Tahir. Obali underscored that the movement is, in a sense, leaderless.

‘On the other hand, Azerbaijanis have historically been very active and have protested frequently. The most notable protests include reactions to the Iranian press calling Azerbaijanis cockroaches, the drying of Lake Urmia, and the lack of government response to the consequences of the earthquake in Karadag. These protests were never covered by the Persian-language press. Worse, some activists outside the press even protested against Azerbaijanis themselves-that is, they sided with the Iranian regime. I remember that Raza Pahlavi said at the time that if Azerbaijanis weakened and divided Iran by demanding their rights, he would stand with Khamenei and fight against Azerbaijanis. That was his statement. Now the nation says: when we raise our voice for our rights, they did not support us, so why should we support them now?’ he opined.

Obali is sure that the Iranian government is actively using these factions to calm the demonstrations. However, Iranian Azerbaijanis declare on every platform that they oppose both the clerical regime and the Shah’s regime.

‘Our nation has already awakened. The people understand that even though the clerical regime is called a religious regime, its ideology creates a synthesis of Persian nationalism and religion to shape Iran as a single nation, while openly trying to assimilate non-Persian nations and establishing internal colonialism in Iran. All of Iran’s non-Persian regions’ mines, economic resources, and even intellectual talent are drained into Persian regions. We can say that almost half or more of Southern Azerbaijan’s intellectuals have been forced to migrate to Persian-majority regions because that is where the work is. Of course, price increases are observed across Iran, and dictatorship dominates the entire country. However, in regions inhabited by Azerbaijanis and other non-Persian nations, in addition to price increases and dictatorship, additional oppression is observed, as I have noted. In short, Southern Azerbaijanis have not forgotten the cruelty and oppression of either the Shah or the clerical regime. Both regimes are dictatorships, and both have been directed against the Azerbaijani nation. The nation has now awakened and views both regimes equally,’ Ahmed Obali concluded.