Category: Azer News

On September 1, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, according to a post shared on the head of state’s official X account.

‘On the margins of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, had an exchange of views with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on our bilateral agenda,’ the President of Azerbaijan noted in his post.

Israel has held meetings with senior officials from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and received RSF delegations in Tel Aviv during Sudan’s ongoing war, according to an investigation by Africa Intelligence.

The investigation, published Friday, found that two RSF delegations travelled to Tel Aviv, one in May 2025 and another in February 2026. Members of the delegations reportedly met officials from the Africa Division of Israel’s Foreign Ministry as well as Israeli intelligence officials.

According to the report, the contacts were part of a broader security and intelligence relationship between Israel and the RSF that predates the outbreak of Sudan’s war in April 2023. The relationship reportedly included security cooperation and may have involved the transfer of surveillance technologies to the paramilitary group.

The first delegation reportedly included Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, deputy commander of the RSF and brother of its leader Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, as well as another brother, Algoney Hamdan Dagalo.

Abdul Rahim and Algoney reportedly returned to Israel in February 2026, accompanied by RSF legal adviser Ezzadean Elsafi.

Africa Intelligence reported that the relationship between Hemedti’s associates and Israeli officials was not newly established during the current conflict, with contacts between the two sides having continued for years.

Israel has historically maintained contacts with both major sides of Sudan’s political and military establishment. While its Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office engaged with the Sudanese Armed Forces, the RSF reportedly maintained contacts primarily through Mossad.

Sudan formally joined the Abraham Accords process in January 2021, becoming the third Arab-majority country to agree to normalise relations with Israel after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The reported Israeli contacts with the RSF come amid international scrutiny of the paramilitary force over alleged atrocities committed during the Sudanese conflict.

In February, the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan said the RSF’s October siege and capture of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, displayed ‘hallmarks of genocide.’

Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, has since developed into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with both sides accused of widespread violations against civilians.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has proposed the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

According to the information service of the Iranian Presidential Office, Pezeshkian made the proposal during the SCO summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

‘Iran has proposed establishing a Parliamentary Assembly of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to strengthen interparliamentary dialogue among member states, facilitate the exchange of legislative experience and support cooperation,’ Pezeshkian said.

He also stressed the need to strengthen the organization’s capabilities in combating terrorism, radicalism and emerging security threats.

In this regard, Iran has proposed establishing a strategic center for security studies within the SCO. According to Pezeshkian, the center could draw on the scientific and professional capabilities of member states to assess developments and provide specialized recommendations aimed at strengthening regional security and stability.

‘Iran believes that the future of multilateralism depends on maintaining dialogue and creating effective mechanisms for cooperation,’ Pezeshkian said.

He added that Iran was ready to play an active and constructive role in strengthening the SCO’s importance and position in regional and international cooperation, while supporting new initiatives aimed at enhancing the organization’s unity, effectiveness and solidarity.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit is being held in Bishkek, where leaders of the organization’s member states are discussing regional cooperation, security and other issues.

Sweet, soft and fragrant, the fig is one of those fruits that seems to capture summer in a single bite.

Fresh from the tree, it has a delicate sweetness and juicy texture; dried, its flavour becomes deeper and richer. Alongside its taste, figs are valued for their fibre, natural sugars, minerals and other nutrients, making them a popular part of a balanced diet.

In Azerbaijan, however, the fig means more than what is on the plate. Particularly in Absheron, fig trees have long been part of the local landscape, gardens and household traditions. Families have enjoyed the fruit fresh during the summer, dried it for later use and turned it into jams, preserves, compotes and homemade sweets.

The fruit has also found a place in Azerbaijani cuisine, where seasonal produce has traditionally been treated with care and imagination. A ripe fig can be enjoyed on its own, served alongside other foods or transformed into a sweet preserve that brings the flavour of summer to the table long after the season has ended.

Perhaps that is why the fig carries such a strong sense of place. Its flavour recalls warm days, village gardens, family kitchens and the generosity associated with Azerbaijani hospitality. In Absheron, it is not simply something that grows in the garden – it is part of the character of the region.

This connection between food, land and tradition was at the heart of a recent celebration at the Gala State Historical and Ethnographic Reserve, where the familiar summer fruit became the centre of an entire festival.

With organisational support from the Administration of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve and in partnership with the Social and Ecological Center EkoSfera, the Fig Festival brought together gastronomy, traditional crafts, music, entertainment and family activities.

For a day, Gala Reserve became a colourful world dedicated to one of Absheron’s most recognisable fruits.

The festival presented the fig not simply as a seasonal delicacy but as part of the cultural heritage of the region. Its story is closely connected with the land itself and with the people who have cultivated, harvested and prepared it over generations.

Visitors had the chance to explore this connection through a programme designed for both adults and children. Workshops introduced guests to traditional crafts, while puppet theatre, musical performances, dances and presentations added to the festive atmosphere.

The setting played its own part. Gala’s historical environment, combined with decorations inspired by the fruit and the landscape of Absheron, gave visitors the feeling of stepping into a summer scene from another era.

Among the most popular attractions were the festival’s colourful photo areas. Guests posed beside the specially decorated “Fig Phaeton” and “Magic Fig Wall”, while haystacks added another distinctly rural touch to the setting.

But the real centre of attention was, naturally, the food. The festival’s “Fig Laboratory” became a meeting place for those curious to taste the fruit in its many forms. Visitors could sample different varieties of figs and compare their distinctive flavours and aromas, discovering how much variety can be hidden behind one familiar name.

The tasting experience also offered a glimpse into the richness of Azerbaijan’s agricultural traditions. Different varieties can vary in colour, sweetness, texture and fragrance, and each has its own character when eaten fresh or prepared for the table.

For generations, Azerbaijani households have found ways to preserve the abundance of summer. Fig jam is among the best-known examples. Carefully prepared preserves allow the fruit’s sweetness and aroma to remain part of the household pantry beyond the short harvest season.

Dried figs offer another way of extending that summer taste. Once dried, the fruit becomes denser and sweeter, making it convenient to store and enjoy throughout the year. Compotes and other homemade preparations have likewise helped make seasonal fruit part of everyday family traditions.

These simple practices tell a larger story about Azerbaijani cuisine. Food traditions are often shaped not by complicated recipes but by what grows nearby, what families have access to and what they learn from one generation to the next.

The fig is a good example. A fruit that begins with a tree in an Absheron garden can eventually become jam in a family kitchen, a dried delicacy on a winter table or the centrepiece of a festival celebrating the region’s heritage.

That journey from the land to the table was reflected throughout the festival.

Craftspeople demonstrated traditional skills, performers brought music and dance to the programme, children took part in activities, and families moved between the different areas of the reserve. The result was a celebration in which gastronomy was closely connected with history and creativity.

There was also something nostalgic about the event. The decorations, haystacks, traditional crafts and open-air setting evoked the atmosphere of an old-fashioned summer gathering, while the festival format gave those traditions a contemporary setting.

The Gala State Historical and Ethnographic Reserve was a fitting location. The reserve preserves examples of the traditional way of life of the Absheron Peninsula, allowing visitors to see how people lived, worked and produced goods in the past.

Against that backdrop, the fig became a small but vivid link between the region’s natural environment and its cultural memory.

It is easy to overlook familiar foods. A fruit that appears on the table every summer may seem ordinary precisely because it has always been there. Festivals such as this one offer a chance to look at such everyday products differently – to see the history behind the taste.

The fig also reflects the generosity of the Azerbaijani table. Seasonal fruits have long played a role in welcoming guests, preparing preserves for the household and sharing food with family and neighbours. The act of preparing and offering food is closely tied to hospitality, and the fig fits naturally into that tradition.

At Gala Reserve, this familiar fruit brought together people of different ages and interests. Children discovered its taste and varieties, adults explored traditional crafts and cuisine, and visitors had the chance to experience a part of Absheron’s rural heritage in a festive setting.

The celebration showed that cultural heritage does not always have to be found in grand monuments or historic documents. Sometimes it is sitting on a kitchen table, growing behind a house or being prepared according to a recipe remembered from childhood.

The fig is one such example.Its sweetness may be simple, but the story behind it is not. It speaks of Azerbaijan’s climate and landscape, the gardens of Absheron, family traditions, seasonal cooking and the habit of preserving what nature provides.

On September 1, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of the Republic of Trkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

During the conversation, the heads of state emphasized that Azerbaijan-Trkiye bilateral relations are based on brotherhood and strategic alliance and welcomed the further expansion of ties across all areas.

The Presidents particularly highlighted that, in accordance with the principle of ‘One nation, two states,’ the two countries always stand by each other in both good and difficult times.

During the meeting, they exchanged views on further strengthening regional peace and stability.

The heads of state also discussed the prospects for allied relations, the regional agenda, and other issues of mutual interest.

Long before modern stadiums, scoreboards and Olympic medals, sport was part of everyday life.

Strength was tested on wrestling grounds, horsemanship was passed from one generation to another, and games of strategy brought communities together. Many of those traditions remain alive today, and this week they have found a common stage in Kyrgyzstan.

The 6th World Nomad Games are underway in Bishkek and around Issyk-Kul, bringing athletes and delegations from more than 100 countries together for a week of competition, culture and traditional sports.

The Games officially opened on August 31 at Bishkek Arena, while the main competitions are being held in and around Cholpon-Ata and other venues in the Issyk-Kul region. The event runs through September 6.

There is a distinctive character to the programme. Alongside familiar forms of wrestling, the Games feature horseback competitions, traditional martial arts, national games and disciplines that have rarely appeared on the world’s major sporting calendars. In total, 43 traditional sports disciplines are included in this year’s programme.

Kyrgyzstan is hosting an event where sport and history come together. The athletes have come to compete, but the sports they represent carry stories of their own – stories about how different communities travelled, worked, celebrated and trained.

Among the participants are Azerbaijani athletes, bringing their own national sporting traditions to the competition.

Azerbaijan is represented by a 17-member delegation comprising 10 athletes, six coaches and one delegation official. Azerbaijani competitors are taking part in nine disciplines: alysh, Kyrgyz kuresh, kushtingiri, wrestling, pahlavan wrestling, Kazakh kuresi, guresh, mas-wrestling and mangala.

Azerbaijan’s centuries-old traditions take the spotlight

Some of these competitions have deep roots in Azerbaijani sporting culture. Wrestling, in particular, has been part of the country’s traditions for centuries, while the figure of the pahlavan remains deeply rooted in Azerbaijani folklore. The pahlavan was more than a strong man capable of defeating an opponent. He represented courage, discipline and honour – qualities that helped turn wrestling into a respected part of community life.

That heritage takes on a new dimension at the World Nomad Games. An Azerbaijani wrestler stepping onto the mat in Kyrgyzstan is not simply competing in another tournament. The athlete is representing a tradition that has been passed from one generation to another, alongside wrestlers carrying their own traditions from across Central Asia and beyond.

The similarities are striking, even where the rules differ. Azerbaijani wrestling, Kazakh kuresi, Kyrgyz kuresh and Uzbek kurash developed in different environments and have their own techniques, but they share an emphasis on strength, balance, skill and respect between opponents.

Azerbaijan has been building its presence in the field of traditional sports for years. The country has taken part in international ethnosport initiatives and has hosted events aimed at giving traditional sports a wider audience.

One of the most notable gatherings came in Baku in March 2022, when the city hosted the 5th Ethnosport Forum organised by the World Ethnosport Confederation. The forum brought together 140 participants from 45 countries to discuss the development and revival of traditional sports.

Azerbaijan has also put its own landscape and traditions at the centre of ethnocultural events. The International National Highland Festival in Goygol combines traditional sports with handicrafts, folklore and other elements of highland culture. Its fourth edition was held in August 2025 with international participation.

These events have helped bring traditional sports beyond local celebrations and into wider international discussions. The World Nomad Games take that process to a much larger scale.

This year’s event has attracted participants from more than 100 countries. The scale of the gathering is matched by its setting. Issyk-Kul, surrounded by the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, provides a striking backdrop for competitions rooted in the history of nomadic societies.

Horse sports naturally occupy a prominent place. For centuries, horses were central to movement, trade, warfare and communication across the steppe. At the Games, that relationship appears in a sporting form, with riders demonstrating speed, control and endurance.

Wrestling tells another part of the story. In many cultures across Central Asia and the Turkic world, wrestling was not simply entertainment. It was a test of physical ability and character, often associated with festivals, celebrations and community gatherings.

Then there are games such as mangala, where physical strength gives way to calculation and patience. The presence of such disciplines is a reminder that traditional sport has never been limited to contests of speed or power.

A spectator can move from a wrestling contest to an equestrian event and then to a traditional board game, encountering different pieces of history at every turn.

The gathering carries particular significance for the Turkic world. Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkiye and other Turkic countries have distinct national identities, but they also share layers of history, language, customs and cultural practices. Traditional sports are among the most visible places where those connections can still be seen.

The World Nomad Games bring these similarities into the same arena without erasing the differences between them. Each country arrives with its own athletes, rules and traditions, creating opportunities to learn from one another.

Azerbaijan’s participation is also part of a longer relationship with the Games. Azerbaijani athletes have competed at every previous edition since the event was launched in Kyrgyzstan in 2014. The first three editions were held in Cholpon-Ata in 2014, 2016 and 2018, before the fourth Games moved to Iznik, Turkiye, in 2022 and the fifth to Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2024.

In February 2026, Azerbaijan’s Association of National Sports signed a partnership agreement with the International Secretariat of the World Nomad Games on preparations for this year’s event. Under the agreement, the association, together with relevant state bodies, was authorised to help form Azerbaijan’s national delegation, including athletes and representatives of culture and science.

The country’s participation comes at a time when Azerbaijani sport is enjoying a strong international run.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, Azerbaijan won seven medals – two gold, two silver and three bronze. Judokas Hidayat Heydarov and Zelim Kotsoyev became Olympic champions, while taekwondo athlete Gashim Magomedov and boxer Alfonso Dominguez won silver. Greco-Roman wrestler Hasrat Jafarov and freestyle wrestlers Magomedkhan Magomedov and Giorgi Meshvildishvili took bronze.

Azerbaijani athletes also collected 1,718 medals at world and European championships, World and European Cups and other international competitions in 2024, including 666 gold, 465 silver and 587 bronze medals.

Those figures belong to modern competitive sport, while the World Nomad Games look further back – to the sports and games that existed before today’s international federations, rankings and world championships. Yet the two worlds meet in Kyrgyzstan.

An athlete can carry a national tradition into a modern international competition, where performance is measured by rules and results while the meaning of participation reaches beyond the scoreboard.

The World Nomad Games give traditional sports something that many of them rarely receive: a global audience.

A wrestling style known mainly within one country can suddenly be seen alongside other national forms. A traditional game can attract spectators who have never encountered it before. Young athletes can meet competitors from another part of the world and return home with techniques, friendships and new ideas.

Traditions survive when people practise them. They need athletes, coaches, organisers and, most importantly, younger generations willing to learn them.

This is where events such as the World Nomad Games can make a difference.

The immediate task facing Azerbaijan’s 10 athletes is competition. They will test their strength and skill against international opponents and seek the best possible results in their respective disciplines.

At the same time, every contest offers an opportunity to show a part of Azerbaijan – its wrestling traditions, national games and sporting customs that have been handed down through generations.

By September 6, the medals will have been decided, and the arenas will begin to quieten. The competitions will be over, but the traditions represented there will not disappear with the closing ceremony.

They will return with the athletes to their home countries, back to training halls, villages, festivals and sporting clubs. In Azerbaijan, as elsewhere, they will continue through the people who practise them and the younger athletes who decide to take up the challenge.

The winners will leave with medals, but every participating country will also leave something of itself behind – and take a little of the wider sporting heritage home.

Italy’s Ministry of Interior confirmed in a statement on Monday that the government decided to extend the suspension of the Schengen agreement with Spain for another 15 days, over the immigration situation in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.

The ministry explained that the decision was made following the Committee on Immigration and Border Security’s analysis. Nonetheless, Italy acknowledged the initiatives the Spanish government is taking, in partnership with the European Union, “to ensure that the situation in that area can move towards a return to normalcy soon.”

Italian media reported that the country’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, already informed his Spanish counterpart about the extension over the phone.

The expansion of economic ties between Azerbaijan and Bahrain was discussed on the sidelines of an international event held in Kazan.

The Azerbaijani Economy Ministry reported that Deputy Economy Minister Rovnag Abdullayev met with Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Environment Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Dinah during the “Tatarstan Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Forum – 2026” in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.

The meeting focused on the development of economic relations between Azerbaijan and Bahrain and opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of energy and environmental protection.

As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation also toured the Khimgrad Technopolis in Tatarstan, where it was briefed on the activities of resident companies, their production capabilities, technologies in use and ongoing projects.

It was noted that the “Tatarstan Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Forum – 2026” plays an important role in expanding regional and international business cooperation, promoting modern technologies and equipment, and facilitating meetings between business representatives.

Europe could reach a record level of new wind turbine installations this year.

According to WindEurope’s semi-annual report, wind power capacity in Europe increased by 8.8 gigawatts (GW) in the first six months of this year. This figure is 30 percent higher than in the same period of 2024. The turbines installed during the period could generate enough electricity to meet the power needs of around 7 million European households. The additional capacity could also replace fossil fuel imports equivalent to the volume carried by 25 LNG tankers annually.

Germany was the main driver of growth in the first half of the year. The country added 3.4 GW of wind power capacity, accounting for 40 percent of all new capacity installed in Europe, with more than 500 turbines put into operation. Belgium, meanwhile, increased its wind power capacity by a further 60 megawatts (MW).

WindEurope forecasts that Europe will add another 24 GW of wind power capacity over the full year. However, obtaining permits remains a major obstacle. The organization expects annual additions to reach 30 GW in the 2030s.

Eurasia is becoming less about distance and more about connection, where trade routes are expanding, supply chains are being redirected, and countries that once dealt with each other mainly through diplomacy are increasingly connected by investment, transport, energy and technology.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which marks its 25th anniversary this year, is one of the clearest examples of this shift.

The organization’s role for Azerbaijan as an SCO partner is increasingly practical rather than symbolic, as the relationship now covers security, trade, investment, energy, transport, telecommunications, agriculture, education and culture. These are the areas that increasingly overlap as Eurasian economies become more interconnected.

The scale of the organization alone explains why it matters. The SCO brings together 10 member states, including China, India, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the Central Asian countries, representing roughly 40% of the world’s population and a substantial share of global economic activity. Therefore, for Baku, access to such a network creates opportunities well beyond traditional bilateral relations.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s geographical position gives it particular relevance to the SCO’s growing economic network. As the country sits on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, linking Central Asia with Trkiye and European markets, its transport infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to this role.

It is significant to note that the Middle Corridor, connecting China and Central Asia with the Caucasus and Europe through the Caspian Sea, has seen rapid growth. Freight volumes along the route have increased roughly fivefold in seven years, reaching around 4.5 million tonnes. In the first seven months of 2025 alone, 225 block trains from China travelled through the corridor.

Infrastructure investment is following the demand. The capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being increased from about 1 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes a year, while Azerbaijan’s railway operator ADY has purchased 300 new wagons.

These numbers show more than transport statistics by portraying how Azerbaijan can turn geography into an economic asset. And the same logic applies to trade and investment.

Azerbaijan’s non-oil exports reached about $3.3 billion in January-November 2025, accounting for roughly 14% of total exports. At the same time, Chinese investment in Azerbaijan reached approximately $405 million in the first half of 2025.

The figures point in the same direction: the relationship with Asian economies is moving beyond the sale and transit of commodities towards investment, manufacturing, logistics and broader commercial ties.

Furthermore, transport corridors only become economically meaningful when companies use them. Therefore, cooperation in customs, telecommunications, agriculture and support for small and medium-sized enterprises can help turn infrastructure into actual trade.

Experts say a new railway can move goods faster. In the meantime, efficient customs can reduce costs, digital systems can make transactions easier, investment can create production capacity, and businesses can then use the same infrastructure to reach new markets.

Azerbaijan’s economic strategy is already moving in this direction. For example, industrial parks, the Alat Free Economic Zone and expanding logistics infrastructure are designed to attract investment and increase production rather than simply move goods through the country.

The Alat Free Economic Zone, for example, offers companies operating there exemption from customs duties for 15 years. Such incentives become more significant when combined with access to growing transport corridors connecting China, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Europe.

Energy remains another pillar

Energy is another area where Azerbaijan and SCO countries have obvious interests. Azerbaijan has spent decades building itself into an energy producer and transit country. The Southern Gas Corridor stretches roughly 3,500 kilometres, connecting the Caspian region with European consumers.

But the energy relationship is changing, and cooperation is no longer limited to oil and gas. Renewable energy, electricity transmission, technology and energy infrastructure are becoming increasingly important.

Azerbaijan has set a target of increasing the share of renewables in installed electricity generation capacity to 30% by 2030. Solar and wind projects are already expanding, creating another potential area for cooperation with Asian investors and technology companies.

Perhaps the strongest link between Azerbaijan and the SCO runs through Central Asia.

Baku’s relations with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian states have expanded rapidly in recent years. The Caspian Sea provides the physical connection, while the Middle Corridor provides the economic logic. Besides, the SCO adds another layer to this relationship by bringing these countries into the same multilateral framework. President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in SCO summits and his attendance at this year’s SCO+ meeting in Bishkek reflect the growing political importance of this engagement. But the more important question is what follows the meetings.

The real measure of a partnership is not the number of declarations signed, but the volume of trade, investment, cargo, energy and business activity generated afterwards.

There is also a cultural side to Azerbaijan’s engagement. The bust of Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi at the SCO headquarters in Beijing, installed in 2021 on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, is a small but visible example of how the relationship extends beyond economics and security.

Azerbaijan does not need the SCO to become its single most important economic platform. Its value lies elsewhere: it gives Baku access to a network covering some of the world’s most important markets, producers, consumers and transport corridors.