Category: Azer News

Italy’s leading media outlets have highlighted the official visit of Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva to the Holy See, reporting extensively on her meetings and engagements during the trip.

According to Azernews, prominent Italian platforms such as Giornale Diplomatico, Notizie Geopolitiche, Il Domani d’Italia, Gazzetta Diplomatica, Kmetro0, Il Denaro, Radio Studio90 Italia, Tele Città, MSN, and ZaZoom covered the visit in detail, noting that Mehriban Aliyeva held several important meetings and took part in significant cultural and humanitarian events.

During her audience with Pope Leo XIV, both sides emphasized the steady growth of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Vatican. The discussion touched upon the activities of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan and preparations for the construction of a second Catholic church in Baku. Pope Leo XIV praised the cooperation, saying it played an essential role in promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

In her meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive development of relations. Cardinal Parolin commended Azerbaijan’s initiative to build another Catholic church as a testament to the nation’s respect for all religions. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on the initialling of the peace agreement with Armenia, reaffirming the Vatican’s full support for peace in the region.

As part of the visit, First VP Mehriban Aliyeva and her family attended the opening ceremony of the restored Saint Commodilla Catacombs, a project supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The restoration was hailed as a new chapter in long-term cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican.

The First Vice-President also met Cardinal James Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Paul, and reviewed the restoration works carried out with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. She toured the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, learning about its molecular genetics and diagnostic laboratories, and later met Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Vatican Governorate, with whom she participated in a tree-planting ceremony in the Vatican Gardens.

First VP Mehriban Aliyeva also visited the Apostolic Library and Archives, familiarised herself with restoration efforts at St. Peter’s Basilica, and, together with Cardinal Parolin, attended the official opening of Azerbaijan’s new Embassy building to the Holy See.

As of September 30, 2025, more than 6,000 subscribers-including households, businesses, and farms-are now using the services of AzTelekom LLC in the territories recently liberated from occupation, Azernews reports, citing AzTelekom.

The company emphasized that the ongoing restoration and reconstruction efforts in these areas include the deployment of GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) technology. This upgrade allows residents and businesses to access high-speed internet alongside bundled services such as ‘internet + telephony,’ ‘internet + television,’ and ‘internet + telephony + television.’

According to AzTelekom, the expansion of telecommunications services not only brings convenience to daily life for local residents but also provides critical support for the implementation of socio-economic development projects in the region.

The initiative represents a significant step in integrating the liberated territories into Azerbaijan’s national infrastructure, ensuring that communities benefit from modern connectivity and digital services as reconstruction progresses.

The global financial media is buzzing with speculation. In recent months, some analysts, particularly in media outlets of Global South countries, have highlighted rising gold prices and reported that several central banks, including India’s, are exploring the creation of gold-backed digital currencies. These narratives often suggest that BRICS+ countries might one day introduce a currency capable of dethroning the US dollar.

The reality, however, is far more complex. While gold-backed digital tokens exist in the private sector, for example, Pax Gold and Tether Gold, these are niche financial instruments, not national currencies. No BRICS+ country has issued, or is close to issuing, a state-backed digital currency tied to gold or any other element that could compete with the dollar at the global level.

The allure of a gold-backed digital currency created by BRICS is understandable: gold is historically perceived as a safe-haven asset, and the idea of tying a new currency to a tangible commodity appeals to investors wary of fiat money. However, creating a new currency that rivals the dollar is not a matter of physics or metallurgy, it is a matter of trust. The dollar’s dominance is not based on gold or any intrinsic value; it rests entirely on the collective confidence of governments, banks, and markets worldwide. Even countries historically hostile to the United States have consistently held dollars in their reserves. Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, and the Assad family all stored significant amounts of US dollars in their accounts, vaults, and safes; a testimony to the enduring trust in the dollar.

The BRICS+ bloc, including Russia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and potential affiliates, has certainly grown economically and industrially. Yet, economic might alone cannot replace the dollar. For instance, China is the world’s second-largest economy, and the European Union ranks third, but how many countries actually hold the yuan as a reserve currency compared to the euro? The answer: very few. Even among nations seeking to challenge the ‘Global North,’ the yuan has yet to surpass the euro in reserve currency status.

Furthermore, the notion that a currency’s value depends on the commodity backing it, whether gold, uranium, or any other resource, is a misunderstanding of modern monetary systems. Money functions because people collectively believe in its value. A new BRICS+ currency, even if backed by gold or another element, would fail without widespread trust. In other words, you can back it with the most precious metals on Earth, but if the global market does not recognize it as reliable, it will remain ineffective.

This perspective is reinforced when considering cultural and historical patterns. Economies and societies evolve through what social scientists call ‘cultural evolution,’ the gradual accumulation of shared knowledge, institutions, and behaviors. Fiat currency, despite its flaws, represents one of humanity’s most successful innovations in economic evolution. Attempting to revert to a gold-based system is analogous to abandoning tractors for hand plows: it is not just impractical, it is regressive. History offers no examples of societies improving by discarding modern innovations in favor of older methods.

Overall, while speculation about BRICS+ creating a dollar-challenging currency may dominate headlines, it remains just that-speculation. The structural, psychological, and historical foundations that sustain the dollar cannot be easily replicated or replaced. Gold-backed digital tokens may grow in niche markets, but the idea that they, or any BRICS+ initiative, could dethrone the dollar is, at present, unrealistic.

It doesn’t mean that the dollar is permanently unassailable, and it cannot be dethroned by a challenger that fails to replicate the foundational elements of its trust. The current model pursued by some BRICS+ nations, achieving economic might without concomitant advances in political transparency, institutional stability, and the guaranteed rule of law, is insufficient. A currency’s global status is a reflection of the system it represents. Therefore, a future challenger will not succeed by simply offering a gold-backed alternative or by rallying geopolitical dissent. It will only emerge from a system that is perceived as more democratic, more stable, and more reliably governed than the current order. The dollar’s true successor, should it ever appear, will be built on a superior form of institutional trust, not merely on industrial capacity or a shared desire to break from the West.

On October 31, the Heydar Aliyev Center will host the opening of the exhibition “My Seas, My Oceans”, which carries a strong message about the protection of water resources, Azernews reports. The exhibition aims to emphasize the importance of preserving one of the most vital resources of our planet – water sources – in an era marked by climate change, global warming, and vulnerable ecosystems.

Organized at the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) Public Union, the exhibition is part of the “Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW” project.

Following its debut in Geneva in 2022, which laid the foundation for a global dialogue on the protection of aquatic ecosystems, this project is being presented in Baku for the first time.

The exhibition will feature works by contemporary artists that reflect a range of global challenges from pollution and overfishing to the loss of biodiversity. In these works, water is depicted as a source of life, renewal, and imagination.

Painters, sculptors, multimedia and interdisciplinary artists address topics such as water, climate change, sustainability, and marine biodiversity. Through their artistic creations, they call for the protection of our seas, oceans, and shared future.

The exhibition aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including “Clean Water and Sanitation,” “Responsible Consumption,” “Climate Action,” and “Life Below Water.”

“My Seas, My Oceans” demonstrates that art not only reflects reality but also has the power to help ensure the cleanliness of seas and oceans for future generations.

As more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, the ecological systems of seas and oceans are increasingly being subjected to harmful impacts. Through art, the exhibition conveys a message to the world about reducing and preventing these impacts, as well as increasing awareness of global issues.

In 1991 the Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay established MERCOSUR with the signing of the Treaty of Asuncion, making it South America’s largest multilateral agreement assigned to tackle the commercial, economic and political matters in the continent. With the Treaty of Asuncion, the four nations agreed to ensure a ‘free movement of goods, services, and factors of production between countries.’

According to a publication of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR): the four nations reached an agreement to ‘eliminate customs duties, implement a common external tariff of 35 percent on certain imports from outside the bloc, and adopt a common trade policy toward outside countries and blocs.’

For Shannon K. O’Neil, Ph. D. a Senior Vice President at CFR and Latin America Expert: ”MERCOSUR had grand ambitions, it was going to be a customs union with a political side’.’ The Mercosur stamp is emblazoned on member countries’ passports, and license plates display the Mercosur symbol. Residents of the bloc are authorized to live and work anywhere within it. In 1994, the group signed the Protocol of Ouro Preto, formalizing its status as a customs union.’

Although Argentina and Brazil aspired to mend ties and establish a greater level of regional cooperation in the fields of commerce, economy and political dialogue; the integration of the Republic of Paraguay within MERCOSUR has been highly partial, with a total lack of coherence shown in the alarming levels of poverty across the nation. Moreover, Asuncion has suffered from rampant domestic corruption at the highest levels of government, and its current economic stagnation (above-neutral growth) is the result of political bickering and disagreements that have taken shape between Argentina and Brazil. In the early 1990s, when the two South American Giants were keen to promote their bilateral dialogue and synchronize their commercial partnership, trade and commercial relations among the four countries experienced a significant growth. On the other hand, since the beginning of the XXI Century until today, MERCOSUR has lost its relevance and simply became a platform of empty talk were the Nation of Paraguay was always discriminated by the Leftist Governments of Argentina and Brazil, it has become clearly evident that the only landlocked country of the bloc is treated as a junior partner (Speronews, 2012). The recent implementation, enforcement of external tariffs – applied outside of MERCOSUR – to the Paraguayan automotive industry that is exporting auto parts in Brazil, is a typical example of Brasilia’s brash and arrogant attitude towards the Paraguayan products that are crossing the border (ABC Color, 2019).

Despite these political hurdles and geographical disadvantages, the Republic of Paraguay has always shown a political support, reflected a great sense of responsibility and complied with all multilateral agreements signed within the framework of MERCOSUR. The Paraguayan six-months long Presidency of MERCOSUR in the first half of 2018, marked an important milestone in the overall history of the organization and particularly reached concrete results on its ongoing negotiations with the European Union. Furthermore, Paraguay has provided a constant political support for MERCOSUR to establish close cooperation agreements with the Governments of the Republic of Korea, Republic of Singapore, Republic of China (Taiwan), and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This chapter presents a broad range of opportunities and challenges in Paraguay’s Foreign Policy; promotes the efforts of the current Paraguayan Government to further strengthen economic globalization thereby fostering international circulation of goods, services, technologies and capital.

Paraguay, MERCOSUR and the European Union

On July 17th, 2019, in Santa Fe – Argentina, President Mario Abdo Benítez celebrated the historic agreement signed between MERCOSUR and the European Union. The Paraguayan head of state stated that the latest strategic alliance will change the history of integration within MERCOSUR and generate great opportunities for the development of nations. In this context Mr. Abdo Benítez stressed that cooperation with European Union must go beyond commerce and trade partnership, it should incorporate new models of regional integration so that the MERCOSUR Bloc can be consolidated as a competitive platform of production (PY-MFA, 2019). In the plenary session of MERCOSUR Summit, the ongoing projects in information technology and lowering the costs of internet connection in the region were also discussed (PY-MFA, 2019).

Before his counterparts of MERCOSUR, the President of Paraguay H. E. Mr. Mario Abdo Benítez, expressed his satisfaction on the current agreement that was signed between the Southern Common Market and the European Union; an important pillar for the integration and development of South American Nations.

The Paraguayan Head of State emphasized the relevance of this Alliance and the opportunities that European markets represent for the agricultural products of Paraguay and the other member nations of MERCOSUR. In his statement, President Abdo Benítez added: ‘this agreement will change the history of integration of our people in MERCOSUR, it opens opportunities for our products and companies to reach new markets with zero tariffs, in a market with more than 500 million consumers and inhabitants of 28 countries, with a GDP of over US$ 34 Billion, a market with a consolidated flow of capital that will open huge opportunities to our people while engaging in the highest standards of competition at the global level (PY-MFA, 2019).’

In 2015-2017, Paraguay and the European Union have enjoyed a fairly mild level of trade and investment cooperation; E.U. imports from Paraguay registered a minor increase, from pound 1.006bn to 1.153bn. At the same time, Paraguay’s imports from E.U. recorded a moderate increase in the same period, from pound 610 million in 2015 to pound 682 million in 2017 (EC, 2019). In 2017, the European Union was Paraguay’s third most important trading partner (after Brazil and Argentina); accounting for 10 percent of Paraguay’s total trade; in 2017, E.U.-Paraguay trade amounted for pound 1.798 billion (EC, 2019).

It must be emphasized that E.U. imports from Paraguay are dominated by agricultural products (87.2 percent of total imports from Paraguay into the E.U. in 2017). In the same period, E.U. exports to Paraguay are dominated by manufactured goods, particularly 42.9 percent in machinery and transport equipment and 22.7 percent in chemical products (EC, 2019). The E.U. is an important investor in Paraguay; between 2014 and 2016, E.U. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stocks in Paraguay increased from pound 863 million to pound 1.2 billion (EC, 2019).

On October 21st, 2016, the Vice Minister for Regional Economic Integration of Paraguay, Ambassador Rigoberto Gauto Vielman was interviewed by the national media to report on the status of negotiations between MERCOSUR and the European Union. The Paraguayan Chief negotiator stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on the Intellectual Property, Public Contracts and Customs and Border Inspection legislation (PY-MFA, 2019).

In 2015 – 2016, Ambassador Gauto was engaged in extensive negotiations with his counterparts in Brussels; the Paraguayan delegation addressed a number of issues that are related to fair trade and fulfilment of treaties signed within the framework of World Trade Organization, that guarantee free trade and open markets as well as expressed Paraguay’s commitment to follow the requirements that enable parties to reach a better flow and development of commerce (PY-MFA, 2016).

Conclusion and Policy Recommendations

The Republic of Paraguay, as a dynamic member of MERCOSUR, has vigorously promoted the relations of South America’s trade bloc with European Union and the countries of Southeast Asia, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In this regard the bilateral dialogue of Paraguay with Singapore, Vietnam and other countries, has further developed Asuncion’s commercial and trade cooperation with this part of the world.

On May 23-24 2025, President of Paraguay Santiago Peña made a State Visit to Singapore accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Public Works and Communications Claudia Centurión, Minister of Industry and Commerce Francisco Javier Giménez García, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Rolando de Barros Barreto. This was the first State Visit by a Paraguayan Head of State to Singapore. President Peña’s visit affirms the warm relations between Singapore and Paraguay and provided a unique opportunity for both nations to pursue a path of greater economic and political cooperation, including the ratification of the MERCOSUR-Singapore Free Trade Agreement that was signed in December 2023.

In addition, Paraguayan bilateral diplomacy has, simultaneously, forged a trusted partnership between MERCOSUR and the Southeast Asian Economic Tigers that have established an admirable leadership in terms of strengthening global trade and are emerging as pioneers of global development principles in South America. In this context, at a slower speed paired with a greater level of bureaucracy, the European Union aims to further explore the trade advantages with MERCOSUR countries. Nevertheless, over the next decade, the nations of South America will have an opportunity to experience the positive impact of ever growing trade partnership with European Union countries.

In the contrary to the aspirations, spirit of harmonious partnership, and information included above, the Government of Paraguay decided in September 2018 to close its embassy in Jerusalem (State of Israel), in 2014 closed its embassy in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia, and continues to maintain frozen relations with one of the most important countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As the only landlocked country in South America, a founding member of MERCOSUR; the Republic of Paraguay is poised to defend its national interests and continues to forge, with the assistance of Washington, practical initiatives in economic diplomacy so that Itapúa’s agricultural commodities and organically grown food products nationwide, can reach new markets and new consumers. In the same vein, Paraguayan Government must take firm actions towards establishing medium size logistical parks in the deep-water ports of Chile and Peru, both countries may very well serve as lasting natural bridge heads connecting Paraguayan agricultural and food industry products with Southeast Asian markets. According to Distinguished Professor Blerim Olluri, Chancellor of AAB College (Kolegji AAB) – Prishtina in Kosova: ‘The development of an expanded intermodal rail shipping network and modern highway transportation system connecting the cargo shipyards on the shores of Paraguay and Parana Rivers with the two South American countries, Chile and Peru (crossing through Argentina), would be a strategic advantage to Paraguay and all countries involved, including Argentina and Bolivia. In the same context MERCOSUR would earn a reputation for its advanced transportation infrastructure and secure a greater leverage when negotiating with countries on the other sides of the Pacific and Atlantic.’ Establishing air shipment routes through Paraguay’s regional airports is another strategic necessity for Asuncion to secure a better presence in international commercial platforms as well as increase its leverage on negotiations conducted within MERCOSUR or independently reaching Free Trade Agreements with ASEAN and other regional trade blocs.

At the moment Paraguay has only one international airport, six regional airports only suitable for landing of small passenger planes and a large, unfinished, military airport in the Chaco-Paraguay. In the next three years, the Government of Santiago Peña Palacios must establish a strong partnership with Washington to secure a geopolitical support so that new trade routes and shipping harbors can be established in the territories of Chile and Peru, provided that Argentina’s Government allows Paraguayan trucks to use its road infrastructure. The geopolitical pressure from the north is also imperative to preserve Paraguay’s energy sovereignty and establish new airline routes that could further help mitigate the country’s surging need to satisfy an ever-growing demand for its organic products in many parts of the world, including Europe and Central Asia Nations that maintain friendly ties with North America. The National Economy of Paraguay is deeply connected to International Trade and Economic Diplomacy. The primary task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to further strengthen the national presence in international markets and rapidly, consistently improve Paraguay’s national image abroad.

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their articles may differ from those of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect its views.

A multinational military exercise, Unity-2025, involving troops from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, is continuing in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Defence.

The exercise is conducted in three stages, focusing on strengthening border security, defending state frontiers, and locating, containing, and neutralising illegal armed groups.

Officials noted that the primary goal of the drills is to enhance interoperability among the participating countries’ military contingents, improving coordination in joint operations and developing collective operational capabilities. Troops are practising strategies for rapid deployment, coordinated manoeuvres, and combined defensive actions, with emphasis on both tactical efficiency and communication between units from different nations.

The exercise reflects a regional effort to boost military readiness and cooperation in Central Asia, demonstrating the participating states’ commitment to shared security challenges.

Baku-Absheron Regional Tourism Department has announced a competition for participation in the “Street Artists” project, Azernews reports.

The project envisages providing state support to street artists to freely demonstrate their talent and art in specially designated venues in the center of Baku for 20 winning participants.

This initiative aims to achieve proper promotion of the business aspects of street art, which combines art and business, which is very widespread in the modern world, and its emerging role in modern tourism trends, among Azerbaijani youth, as well as to support the formation of new types of urban activities that may attract tourists.

The project promotes the unique national and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people by showcasing master performances of street art, painting, acting, pottery or weaving in different formats to tourists, and to support the generation of certain economic income by street artists by selling the resulting examples.

During the competition phase of the project, artists who are engaged in street art such as sketching and painting, photography, carpet weaving, street theater, etc., which will attract the attention of tourists and interest them in a short period of time, as well as create opportunities for their entertainment, will be selected by expert art critics. In the next stage, they will be placed in appropriate exit locations and conditions will be created for them to perform freely while their activities are monitored.

The selection round of the competition will be held in 2 stages. In the 1st stage, 3-minute videos of their performances submitted online by the participants will be evaluated by experts with positive and negative feedback.

Candidates who receive positive feedback will participate in the 2nd – in-person stage. In the in-person selection round of the competition, the evaluation will be conducted on a 10-point scale, and the artists who have scored the highest points according to the number of corresponding stops will be the winners and will have the right to participate in the project for the next 1 year.

Those who wish to participate in the competition can contact us by phone and e-mail from October 20 to 30.

An Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Airbus A320 operating flight J2-020 from St. Petersburg to Baku made an emergency return to Pulkovo Airport due to a technical malfunction in its landing gear, Azernews reports.

The aircraft’s captain decided to turn back shortly after takeoff in order to ensure passenger safety. Following all established aviation safety procedures, the crew spent time in the air to burn off excess fuel before attempting to land. Emergency and rescue services at Pulkovo Airport were placed on high alert ahead of the aircraft’s arrival.

The plane touched down safely at 04:43 a.m. Baku time, slightly veering off the runway during landing. All 155 passengers were promptly and safely evacuated. There were no injuries reported among passengers or crew members.

AZAL dispatched a replacement aircraft to St. Petersburg to continue transporting the passengers to Baku. In its official statement, the airline expressed gratitude to the passengers for their patience and understanding, and thanked Pulkovo Airport’s emergency teams for their professional and coordinated response to the incident.

The airline emphasized that flight safety remains its top priority and assured that the malfunctioning aircraft will undergo a detailed technical inspection before returning to service.

Ministerial meetings on regional security and interconnectivity are taking place today in Luxembourg, following the EU Foreign Affairs Council session. Azerbaijan is represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev, Azernews reports.

According to a source from the European Commission, the event program includes two separate sessions with representatives from the European Union, the Eastern Partnership, and Central Asian countries.

The first session, titled ‘Security, Stability and Resilience in the Black Sea Region,’ is attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, along with officials from EU member states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Trkiye, and Ukraine.

The second session, held as a working dinner, focuses on ‘Advancing the Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda.’ EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela will join this session, which also includes representatives from the EU, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Trkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Both meetings aim to strengthen cooperation between the EU and countries of Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia in areas such as security, transport, energy, and sustainable development, while fostering closer ties between Europe and Asia.

The Azerbaijani judo team has finished the Guadalajara Grand Prix 2025 with six gold and three bronze medals, Azernews reports.

Balabay Aghayev (60 kg), Ruslan Pashayev (66 kilograms), Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg), Vusal Galanderzade (81 kg), Zelym Kotsoiev (81 kg) and Ushangi Kokauri (+100 kg) rose to the highest step of the podium.

Ahmad Yusifov (60 kg), Rashid Mammadaliyev (73 kg) and Murad Fatiyev (90 kilograms) were awarded bronze medals.

The Azerbaijani national team took first place in the overall medal standings with nine medals.

The Guadalajara Grand Prix 2025 took place in Mexico, bringing together 231 judokas from 33 countries.

Founded in 1972, the Azerbaijan Judo Federation actively promotes this martial art across the country. President of Azerbaijan Judo Federation is Rashad Nabiyev.

The country’s modern judo history was laid by Mehman Azizov, who won a silver medal at the Old World Championship in 1998.

A year later, the winner of the World Youth Games in Moscow, Rasul Salimov, grabbed the bronze medal at the European Championship in Slovakia. Another national judoka, Elchin Ismayilov, became the European champion in 2000 in Wroclaw.

However, the achievements of Azerbaijani judo fighters did not stop there. Elnur Mammadli was named the best at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 73 kg division.

The list of the country’s top judo fighters includes Rustam Orujov, Irina Kindzerskaya, Mammadali Mehdiyev, Elmar Gasimov, Hidayat Heydarov, Zelym Kotsoiev, Ushangi Kokauri, and Nijat Shikhalizada.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, judokas Hidayat Heydarov (73 kg) and Zelym Kotsoiev (100 kg) earned gold medals for Azerbaijan.