Category: Azer News

A large-scale concert program, “A Legacy Passed Down Through the Centuries,” has been held at the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall as part of the 2nd Opera Days project, AzerNEWS reports.

Organized by the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the concert brought together the theater’s symphony orchestra, choir, and soloists, presenting audiences with a rich selection of masterpieces from both the world’s and Azerbaijan’s operatic heritage.

The musical evening opened with the overture to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro.” Performed by the symphony orchestra under the baton of Honored Artist Eyub Guliyev, the piece immersed the audience in the enchanting world of classical opera.

This was followed by the trio from Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” performed by People’s Artist Akram Poladov, Fahmin Ahmadli, and Mahir Taghizade, accompanied by pianist Daniil Kirillov.

A special place in the program was devoted to the works of Giuseppe Verdi. The trio from “Il Trovatore” was performed by Sayama Hamzayeva, Adil Akhundov, and Taleh Yahyayev. The famous quartet from “Rigoletto” was brilliantly presented by Aliahmad Ibrahimov, Honored Artist Inara Babayeva, Honored Artist Anton Fershtandt, and Nina Makarova.

The evening continued with the overture to Verdi’s “Nabucco,” once again conducted by Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev. This was followed by the trio from the same opera, performed by Honored Artist Farida Mammadova, Adil Akhundov, and Nina Makarova.

One of the highlights of the program was the duet of Silvio and Nedda from Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera “Pagliacci,” performed by Nigar Jafarova and Mahir Taghizade.

The renowned “Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” was performed by the choir of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater under the direction of Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva.

Another highlight of the evening was the quintet from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.” The performance by People’s Artists Fidan Hajiyeva and Gulnaz Ismayilova, together with Nina Makarova, Aliahmad Ibrahimov, and Honored Artist Tural Aghasiyev, received an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Among the evening’s memorable performances was also the “Scottish Chorus” from Verdi’s “Macbeth.”

The audience was then treated to one of the most demanding vocal works in the operatic repertoire-the sextet from Gaetano Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” It was performed by Honored Artist Anton Fershtandt, Aydan Guliyeva, Nina Makarova, Honored Artist Farid Aliyev, Fahmin Ahmadli, and Igor Yadrov.

The culmination of the concert was the final scene from Uzeyir Hajibayli’s opera “Koroghlu,” one of the defining masterpieces of Azerbaijan’s professional musical culture. The performance featured Mahir Taghizade, Fahmin Ahmadli, Nazim Mahmudov, Honored Artist Farida Mammadova, and Aliahmad Ibrahimov. The finale was met with prolonged applause, providing a spectacular conclusion to the musical evening.

The concert program “A Legacy Passed Down Through the Centuries” brought together outstanding examples of world opera and Azerbaijan’s national operatic tradition, becoming a significant event in promoting the country’s rich musical heritage.

This grand evening, held as part of the 2nd Opera Days, gave opera lovers an unforgettable experience and further strengthened public interest in the art of opera.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet his Belarusian colleague Alexander Lukashenko today, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti on Friday, AzerNEWS reports.

The agenda of the meeting has not been disclosed. On the other hand, it is expected that the two leaders will discuss the conflict in Ukraine, amid increasing tensions along the border between the war-torn country and Belarus.

Lukashenko previously brushed off Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s accusations that Minsk was preparing to enter the war, even though he stressed that his country was preparing for conflict “just in case.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously warned Belarus that the consequences will be “significant” if it chooses to join Russia in strikes against its southern neighbor.

In a video address to the nation, Zelensky repeated that Ukrainian intelligence has found evidence that Moscow and Minsk are seriously discussing expanding the front. He added that the “long-sanctions” on Russia are to continue, and that Ukrainian forces hit the Russian oil refinery in the city of Kstovo, 800 kilometers from the border.

Zelensky added that Ukraine has “fulfilled everything” required to enter the European Union, and that Kyiv’s ascension to the bloc is “drawing closer.”

Samsung Group announced plans to invest 1 quadrillion won (approximately $648 billion) in South Korea’s economy over the next decade, according to Maeil Business, cited by Interfax, AzerNEWS reports.

The investment strategy is expected to be presented during a meeting between senior executives from Samsung and SK Hynix and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

The funds will be directed toward the construction of AI-focused data centers, expansion of battery and display production, as well as semiconductor manufacturing. A key part of the initiative includes a potential investment of 300 trillion won to build a large-scale semiconductor manufacturing complex in the country’s southwest.

South Korea’s presidential administration confirmed that three major national projects will be unveiled, focusing on semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and robotics. These sectors are seen as the foundation of the country’s future economic growth and technological competitiveness.

The investment comes amid intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence and chip production, as countries race to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.

Meanwhile, shares of Samsung Electronics, the flagship company of the conglomerate, fell 5.3% on Friday. Despite the decline, the company’s market capitalization has increased significantly since the beginning of the year, reaching 2.25 quadrillion won.

On June 26, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held a telephone conversation with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, AzerNEWS reports.

The ministers discussed the current state and future prospects of the Azerbaijan-Italy strategic partnership.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with the increasingly intensive high-level political dialogue between the two countries. They highlighted that Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Azerbaijan last autumn, the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Italy Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation held in January this year, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Azerbaijan in May clearly demonstrated the strategic nature of bilateral relations and the dynamic development of cooperation based on mutual trust.

The ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining political dialogue and reciprocal high-level visits in the coming period, as well as further expanding cooperation in trade, energy, transport, industry, investment, education, and other sectors. In this context, they noted that the Azerbaijan-Italy Business Forum, scheduled to take place this autumn, would serve as an important platform for deepening bilateral economic partnership.

The sides also underlined the significance of the conference to be organized in September in partnership with The European House – Ambrosetti, describing it as an important contribution to advancing Azerbaijan-Italy political and economic dialogue.

Welcoming the successful cooperation in the energy sector, the ministers stressed that the partnership between SOCAR and Italy’s Italiana Petroli (IP), including SOCAR’s acquisition of the company, represents one of the key pillars of bilateral economic relations. They also emphasized the importance of expanding mutually beneficial economic projects and exploring new areas of cooperation.

The telephone conversation also included an exchange of views on the post-conflict peace agenda in the region, the situation in the Middle East, and other regional security issues.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar on the occasion of the country’s national holiday – Statehood Day.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

“Dear Madam President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I sincerely congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Slovenia – Statehood Day.

I am confident that we will successfully continue our joint efforts to develop the friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Slovenia – which this year mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations – as well as to expand our mutually beneficial cooperation both on a bilateral and multilateral basis.

On this festive occasion, I extend my best regards to you and wish the friendly people of Slovenia lasting prosperity and well-being”.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov held talks with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in Gdansk on the sidelines of the Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Poland’s Foreign Ministry, the discussions focused on the prospects for developing pragmatic Poland-Azerbaijan relations, as well as ongoing work on draft agreements between the two countries.

The ministers also exchanged views on support for Ukraine and discussed the situation in the South Caucasus, regional developments, and Azerbaijan’s assessment of the ongoing processes in the region.

The meeting took place as part of broader diplomatic engagements surrounding international efforts to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Ministers also exchanged views on broader regional security situation of mutual interest.

The conference held on Capitol Hill under the title “The Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches” reflects a broader effort to internationalise the issue of the displacement of Azerbaijanis from present-day Armenia and to frame it within the language of human rights and international law. Organized by the Baku Initiative Group, the event was presented not simply as a political gathering, but as an attempt to draw attention to a long-neglected humanitarian question. It is about the fate, rights, and historical memory of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were forced to leave their homes.

At the heart of the conference was the argument that the suffering of displaced Azerbaijanis has not received the same degree of international recognition as comparable cases elsewhere. This claim is politically significant because it challenges what participants described as a selective approach in global human rights discourse. By holding the event in Washington, D.C., in a venue associated with the U.S. Congress, organisers sought to give the issue symbolic legitimacy and place it before an international policy audience. In that sense, the conference was not only about historical grievance, but also about contesting narratives and influencing future diplomatic and legal discussions.

Speakers emphasised the importance of ensuring international attention remains focused on what they described as the fundamental right of displaced people to return to their ancestral lands in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. Participants cited the case of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who they said were forcibly displaced from territories in present-day Armenia as a result of policies of ethnic cleansing.

They also called for a legal assessment under international law of the systematic destruction, desecration, and appropriation of Azerbaijani cultural, religious, and historical heritage remaining in Armenia, including place names, mosques, cemeteries, shrines, and other monuments, as well as for these violations to be investigated and documented on-site by international organisations. It should be noted that more than 2,000 place names of Azerbaijani origin were changed.

The adoption of an appeal to members of the U.S. Congress at the conclusion of the event signals an effort to transform moral argument into political engagement. The document’s emphasis on consistent standards, non-discrimination, restoration of rights, and protection of heritage suggests a deliberate attempt to align the cause of Western Azerbaijanis with universally accepted principles.

The document calls for international support for the right of Western Azerbaijanis to return safely, voluntarily, and with dignity to their native lands, as well as for the restoration of their property rights and the protection of their cultural heritage.

From a legal perspective, the invocation of the 1951 Geneva Convention highlights the importance of established international frameworks in addressing displacement. While the Convention affirms the protection of refugees and their rights, the practical implementation of return often depends on political agreements, security conditions, and bilateral negotiations. In protracted conflicts, legal principles alone are often insufficient without accompanying political resolution mechanisms.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large-scale displacement of Azerbaijanis from Armenia took place amid escalating political tensions. As a result of what is described as a systematic ethnic policy implemented between 1988 and 1992, approximately 250,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly expelled from their homes in Armenia.

The last and most tragic in scale and methods, the deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia was carried out in 1987-1991. Unlike the 1948-1953 deportation, it coincided in time with the beginning of Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, and therefore was marked by particular harshness. The hopelessness of the situation for Azerbaijanis was linked to the fact that the deportation was carried out with the direct involvement of the administrative and law enforcement bodies of Armenia, which attempted to justify their unlawful actions by the “historical belonging of these lands to Armenians,” on which Azerbaijanis lived.

The majority of Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia were villagers who were forced to leave their native lands – pastures, fields, orchards, and meadows, where their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers had worked for centuries.

Ultimately, the significance of the conference lies in its attempt to reframe the displacement of Azerbaijanis from Armenia as an unresolved international human rights issue rather than a closed historical chapter. Its message was that the right of return, protection of cultural heritage, and restoration of property and cultural rights. That shift alone marks an important development in the broader struggle over memory, justice, and rights in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan’s Culture Minister, Adil Karimli, has attended the ceremonial opening of “Andijan – Cultural Capital of the Turkic World 2026” during his official visit to Uzbekistan, AzerNEWS reports.

The event brought together culture ministers from Turkic states, representatives of international organizations, and prominent figures from the fields of culture and the arts.

The initiative aims to promote the shared historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic world while further strengthening cultural ties among Turkic nations. During the ceremony, speakers highlighted Andijan’s rich history, its deep-rooted cultural traditions, and its significant contribution to the development of Turkic-Islamic civilization.

Participants emphasized the importance of the project as a platform for expanding cultural solidarity and humanitarian cooperation among Turkic peoples.

As part of the celebrations, audiences enjoyed an extensive concert program featuring music and dance ensembles from across the Turkic world. The performances showcased the diverse and vibrant cultural heritage of various nations, reflecting the unity and cultural richness of the Turkic community.

The Azerbaijani delegation’s presence at the event reflected the country’s ongoing efforts to deepen cultural cooperation within the Turkic world and safeguard its shared heritage.

The law of Azerbaijan on accession to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships has been approved, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the decision, signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the country has acceded to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, signed in London on October 5, 2001.

The parliament of Azerbaijan adopted a law on accession to the mentioned convention on June 12.

The 20th anniversary season of Azerbaijan Fashion Week, the largest international fashion platform in the Caspian region, will take place on the coast of Baku at Sea Breeze from July 20 to 22, 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

To mark the anniversary season, Azerbaijan Fashion Week and Dome Middle East Fashion Week have announced a strategic partnership. For the first time, the two international fashion platforms will join forces to create a large-scale event that brings together designers, buyers, industry representatives, media, and leaders of the creative sector from around the world.

The main theme of the season will be “Water Element”, symbolising movement, transformation, purity, and unity. The concept reflects how the rich traditions of the Caspian region and the Middle East, combined with modernity, are shaping new global fashion trends.

Over three days, Sea Breeze will become a hub of the international fashion industry, featuring runway shows by renowned and emerging designers, exclusive collection presentations, professional meetings, international collaborations, and special projects.

The anniversary season is aimed not only at showcasing the latest global fashion trends but also at strengthening Azerbaijan’s position as an important centre of the creative economy, cultural exchange, and international cooperation.

“The 20th anniversary season of Azerbaijan Fashion Week is an important milestone in the project’s history. The partnership with Dome Middle East Fashion Week creates a unique platform for interaction between East and West, opening new opportunities for designers, brands, and industry professionals,” the organisers noted.

Over the years, Azerbaijan Fashion Week has become an authoritative platform for promoting designers, developing the fashion industry, and building international partnerships. The upcoming season is expected to be the largest-scale in the project’s history, bringing together participants from Europe, Asia, the Gulf countries, and the CIS region.

Leading designers, fashion experts, luxury industry representatives, international media, influencers, and creative economy investors are expected to attend.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az,Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.