Category: Azer News

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, has been re-elected as President of European Gymnastics, Azernews reports.

He was elected for a third term by a majority vote at the 31st Congress held in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Note that Farid Gayibov has been leading European Gymnastics since 2017.

Founded in 1982, European Gymnastics (formerly UEG) unites 50 national federations focusing on high-level sport but also recreational sport with offers for all age groups, gender and abilities.

European Gymnastics organizes European Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines.

Zakir Ibrahimov, Chairman of the Executive Board of AzerGold CJSC, held a meeting with Anas Eltayeb Elgailani Mustafa, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Sudan to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

Ibrahimov welcomed the Ambassador and introduced Aslan Hasanli and Rufat Mammadkhanli, the winners of the “Yks?lis” competition, who participated in the meeting as part of the Mentorship Program.

He emphasized that the “Yks?lis” competition, established through a Presidential Decree, plays a vital role in identifying and nurturing young individuals with strong leadership and management potential in Azerbaijan. He pointed out that the competition provides participants with a platform to assess their skills, improve their leadership abilities, and broaden their professional networks.

The Chairman pointed out that the achievements of AzerGold are the result of Azerbaijan’s targeted economic reforms, favorable investment conditions, and ongoing state support for the mining sector.

He further noted that AzerGold has made significant progress and gained valuable experience in its operational areas, with a focus on expanding international cooperation, particularly with mineral-rich countries. He stressed that the Central Asian and African regions are of strategic importance for AzerGold.

The Ambassador Mustafa expressed Sudan’s eagerness to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan, especially in the mining sector. He highlighted Sudan’s rich mineral reserves, including gold and copper, and its significant export potential. The Ambassador also emphasized that the Sudanese government places great importance on fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with foreign countries to fully harness these resources.

Both sides agreed that the meeting marked a positive step toward enhancing bilateral cooperation. They also discussed potential areas of collaboration, particularly in the mining sector, and exchanged views on further opportunities for joint initiatives between the two nations.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to exploring future cooperation prospects and expanding mutual collaboration in various sectors, with a particular focus on the mining industry.

The Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AFSA), Aziz Sharifov, and the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Food Safety Institute, Elkhan Ahmadov, have taken part in a high-level international panel held in Istanbul themed Preventing Food and Water Waste – Protecting the Future”, Azernews reports.

Within the framework of the event, AFSA Deputy Chairman Aziz Sharifov also held a meeting with Ahmet Bagci, Turkish Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

The meeting included discussions on the zero waste concept, during which the Turkish side was briefed on the measures implemented by the Agency, as well as its ongoing initiatives and plans in this field. It was emphasized that increasing responsibility in preventing food waste, developing a sustainable food system, and ensuring efficient resource management are of strategic importance.

The meeting also covered the current state of trade relations between the two countries, import-export dynamics, and future prospects. In addition, opinions were exchanged regarding the mutual recognition of equivalence and approval systems to simplify the export of high-risk products. Both sides expressed interest in expanding cooperation in this direction.

The importance of continuing mutual cooperation even more intensively was highlighted.

As part of the visit, a meeting was also held with Samed Agirbas, Head of the Zero Waste Foundation. During the meeting, information was provided on the Foundation’s areas of activity and its initiatives aimed at reducing food waste. The possibility of implementing joint projects between AFSA and the Foundation in the future was discussed.

In line with the tasks set forth by President Ilham Aliyev’s Decree on declaring 2025 as the “Year of Constitution and Sovereignty” in Azerbaijan, an event has been held at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, Azernews reports.

The event was opened by the director of the scientific institution, Associate Professor Farhad Guliyev, who stated that the Constitution not only defines the social organization and structure of an independent state but also establishes the legal foundation for its national and territorial sovereignty.

“The historic Victory achieved in 2020 also strengthened the values of sovereignty both legally and politically. After our glorious victory, the archaeological and anthropological research conducted by our institute’s staff in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur contributes to affirming our state sovereignty and is in line with the action plan related to the declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Constitution and Sovereignty’ in Azerbaijan,” Guliyev said

The Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs, Associate Professor Zaur Hasanov, pointed out that the declaration of 2025 as the “Year of Constitution and Sovereignty” is a significant event in the development of modern Azerbaijani statehood.

“During the period when National Leader Heydar Aliyev was the head of our independent state, the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan on November 12, 1995, through a national referendum opened the way for large-scale legislative and judicial reforms in our country, shaping the main directions of modern society’s development. Even before the 44-day Patriotic War, the provisions of our Constitution reflecting the integrity and sovereignty of our territories enabled us to declare to the world that the archaeological excavations carried out by the occupiers in our liberated territories were illegal, and we prevented this crime,”Hasanov noted.

Professor Hidayat Jafarov, in his speech, reflected on the path Azerbaijan has taken, pointing out that during the Soviet era, the constitutions of the union republics did not ensure national sovereignty.

“The Constitution adopted through the national referendum on November 12, 1995, occupies a special place in the history of our national statehood. For the first time, a legal document was adopted that fully reflected the national sovereignty, independence, and national interests of the Azerbaijani people. The Basic Law was prepared as a result of the tireless efforts of National Leader Heydar Aliyev,” Jafarov emphasized.

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Abbas Seyidov stated that with the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to power in 1993, political chaos in the country came to an end.

“The preamble of the Constitution adopted on November 12, 1995, in the national referendum included provisions that reaffirmed our state and national independence, as well as our territorial integrity. It was only under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief President Ilham Aliyev that our victorious army, in the 44-day Patriotic War of 2020, established the provisions of our Constitution regarding the territorial integrity of our state,” Seyidov noted.

Associate Professor Bahlul Ibrahimli, in his remarks, emphasized that the Soviet Constitution was unable to defend our territorial integrity.

“The provisions of our Constitution, adopted thirty years ago, regarding territorial integrity and sovereignty, were materialized as a result of the principled and purposeful policies carried out by President Ilham Aliyev. Our Constitution grants us the right to conduct research on our ancestral lands, and this right is backed by the reputation and military power of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Ibrahimli added.

A march and tree-planting campaign titled “Love for the Homeland, Care for Nature, Respect for History” has been organized jointly by the Ganja District Executive Authority and the Avey State Historical and Cultural Reserve, Azernews reports.

As part of the event, faculty and students from the Ganja branch of Baku State University and the Ganja State Social-Economic College, along with young people, planted Eldar pines, almonds (80 trees), and other tree species suitable for the climate at the foot of the Goyazan Mountain at the “Goyazan” branch of the reserve.

Afterwards, the participants, carrying the three-colored flag of Azerbaijan, marched towards the summit of Goyazan Mountain.

Upon reaching the top, the excursion guides provided detailed information to the students about the historical monuments in the area and the archaeological excavations that had been conducted there.

Continuing the event, the participants visited the reserve’s Damjili branch. There, a video presentation about the monuments was shown, and information about the scientific and archaeological excavations carried out in the Damjili cave and surrounding areas was shared with the youth.

The participants also had the opportunity to view an exhibition showcasing exhibits discovered during excavations conducted by Japanese and Azerbaijani archaeologists, as well as various printed materials related to the reserve.

China is observing three days of mourning for those who died in the Tai Po district fire in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Estate, where eight residential blocks were affected, Azernews reports citing Trkiye Today.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and local government officials held a three-minute moment of silence on Saturday morning, while the flags of China and Hong Kong were lowered to half-mast.

To honor the victims, condolence books were opened in all 18 districts of Hong Kong for residents to express their feelings and offer sympathies throughout the day.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Hong Kong office, along with the People’s Liberation Army’s barracks and facilities, also held commemorative ceremonies.

Death toll reaches 128; hundreds still unaccounted for

Authorities reported Friday that 128 people, including one firefighter, lost their lives in the blaze.

Another 79 people were injured, 11 of whom were firefighters.

Firefighting efforts continued for nearly two days at the estate, which is believed to house around 4,000 residents.

As search and rescue operations remain underway, the status of 200 people, including those whose remains have not been identified and those reported missing, remains uncertain.

Fire spread through scaffolding and exterior materials

The fire began around midday on Nov. 26 at Wang Fuk Estate, which contains more than 1,900 apartments.

It spread rapidly after bamboo scaffolding and combustible exterior insulation materials ignited, accelerating the blaze across building facades.

Hong Kong uses a five-tier emergency rating system for fires.

The Tai Po incident prompted a level-5 alarm, the highest classification, for the first time in 17 years.

The blaze has been recorded as the deadliest fire in Hong Kong in the past 70 years.

Arrests made in ongoing investigation

Police detained three individuals, two managers from the construction company responsible for renovation work at the estate and a consultant engineer, on suspicion of ‘causing death by negligence.’

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) separately detained 11 people in a corruption probe regarding irregularities in the renovation project.

The Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), Vugar Suleymanov, has met with Houssam-Eldine Reda, the newly appointed Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The sides touched upon ANAMA’s tasks and objectives, the extent of contamination of the liberated territories with mines and other explosive devices, as well as the humanitarian demining activities carried out under the “Great Return” program.

During the discussion, opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and experience sharing in mine risk management were explored, including potential support from Egypt in this field.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is a public legal entity tasked with overseeing demining operations, providing mine risk education, and coordinating mine action efforts across Azerbaijan. Founded in 1998 and restructured in 2021, its core responsibilities include removing mines and unexploded ordnance from liberated and conflict-affected areas, developing detailed mine maps, and ensuring compliance with international mine action standards.

ANAMA also focuses on safeguarding the population from threats posed by mines and explosive devices through awareness programs, supporting survivors, and collaborating with both domestic and international partners.

Professors Aysel Ersoy and Rya Samli from Istanbul Cerrahpasa University, and Associate Professor Serdar Birogul from Dzce University, have visited Baku Engineering University (BMU), Azernews reports.

The visit, which took place at the invitation of the BMU leadership, aimed to support the teaching of core specialization subjects in the SABAH program groups.

The delegation participated in courses related to Information Technology, Information Security, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science at the Faculty of Information and Computer Technologies.

Turkish professors delivered lectures on subjects such as “Fundamentals of Computer Engineering,” “Introduction to Computer Science,” “Basics of Programming,” “Web Programming,” and “Web Systems and Technologies,” while practical sessions and laboratory classes were also organized.

Meetings were held between the faculty leadership, professors, and lecturers.

During these meetings, issues such as expanding mutual cooperation, updating subject programs, implementing advanced teaching methodologies, conducting joint scientific research, preparing and publishing scientific articles, and co-supervising PhD students were discussed.

The parties agreed that it would be beneficial to continue the collaboration in a regular and systematic manner.

Baku Engineering University was founded by a decree from the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on November 8, 2016.

The mission of Baku Engineering University is “to train engineers across all levels of higher education, offer higher and supplementary education programs in this field, and carry out both fundamental and applied scientific research.”

Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs are offered in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian languages.

The Azerbaijani manat maintained its stability against the US dollar at the end of this week, according to the official exchange rate set by the Azerbaijan Central Bank (CBA), Azernews reports.

The weighted average rate closed the week at 1.7 manat per dollar.

Against the Russian ruble, the official exchange rate of the manat increased by 0.0302, with the weighted average rising by 0.05694 manat, reaching 2.16334 manat per 100 rubles.

In contrast, the manat slightly weakened against the Turkish lira, with the official rate decreasing by 0.0001 manat over the week and the weighted average falling by 0.00008 manat, settling at 0.04006 manat per lira.

Polad Bulbuloglu, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, has made the remarks at the closing ceremony of CIS Cultural Capital 2025 in Lachin, Azernews reports.

He stated that when choosing cultural capitals, the emphasis should be on cities of significant cultural and historical value rather than capital cities.

“When selecting cultural capitals, the main focus should not be on capital cities, but on cities that hold significant cultural and historical interest in their respective countries. I should note that the idea to nominate Lachin for the status of CIS Cultural Capital belongs to President Ilham Aliyev, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to the head of our state on behalf of all of us,” Polad Bulbuloglu said.

“Lachin is the border of Azerbaijan; it is Garabagh land. It was very important for the CIS community to correctly understand the processes currently underway to revive the Karabakh region. Everyone present here witnessed the rapid revival of Lachin in the truest sense. Everything here had been destroyed, and within a short period of time, Lachin now represents Azerbaijan in the CIS space,” he added.