Category: Azer News

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called for the bloc to adopt the same approach toward Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories that it took toward Russian-occupied Crimea.

Speaking to The Irish Times on Friday, Kallas said the EU could not be taken seriously while member states remained divided over how to respond to actions by the Israeli government and violent settlers.

She urged EU countries to adopt what she described as a ‘principled stance’ by supporting an EU-wide ban on trade with Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.

Kallas acknowledged that the volume of trade with the settlements is relatively small but said a ban would carry significant symbolic importance.

‘The question is what do we do about this? If we take the example when Crimea was occupied, then it was very clear, it’s illegal, we don’t recognise this, which means that we stop the trade with any products that come from Crimea,’ Kallas said.

‘We should have the same principled stance – you know this is illegal, everybody agrees – so we should stop trading with occupied [Palestinian] Territories,’ she added.

According to Kallas, the European Commission is facing ‘very clear’ pressure from national governments to propose an EU-wide trade ban on settlement products. She also said European institutions ‘get a lot of bashing’ over their failure to impose sanctions on Israel amid the war in Gaza.

If introduced as an EU trade measure rather than a foreign policy decision, the proposal would require the support of a qualified majority of member states rather than unanimity. Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovenia currently oppose sanctions against Israel.

Kallas said the precedent set by the EU’s response to Russia’s occupation of Crimea demonstrated how the bloc could approach goods originating from territory it does not recognize as legally belonging to the occupying power.

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the EU prohibited the import of goods from the peninsula and imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia, later expanding restrictions to areas including arms, energy and technology exports.

On September 14, during a meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, presented the certificate of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev was honored with this award in 2026 in recognition of his contributions towards establishing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In accordance with the terms of the award, the President of Azerbaijan is granted a monetary prize of 500,000 US dollars.

President Ilham Aliyev has directed that the full amount be transferred to the Garabagh Revival Fund.

The expansion of the Middle Corridor is becoming increasingly important for the economic prospects of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. What was initially viewed mainly as an alternative transport route between Asia and Europe is gradually gaining wider economic importance, affecting financing conditions and the development of domestic financial markets.

The corridor connects China with Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Trkiye. Its growing importance is closely linked with the restructuring of regional trade flows since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. As businesses kook for routes that bypass Russia, countries along the Middle Corridor have gained an opportunity to increase their share of transit activity, trade, and related investments.

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan could use this advantage to push ahead with economic diversification and reduce dependence on hydrocarbons. According to Moody’s, the non-oil sectors of both economies are showing steade growth, supported mainly by national banks and government diversification programmes. This combination has created a favorable environment for financial institutions, while also supporting lending to companies outside the traditional commodity sectors.

The improvement in banking-sector performance is not simply a result of increased economic activity. Tighter regulation, better credit quality, sustained profitability and liquidity reserves have strengthened banks’ ability to absorb shocks. These factors are important as the region is gaining an increasing role in cross-border trade and infrastructure investment, where financing requirements tend to be significant and projects often have long payback periods. Corporate conditions have also benefited from steady economic growth, government reforms and relatively good access to domestic financing.

Moody’s expects real GDP growth across much of Central Asia and the Caucasus to remain strong, with many economies continuing to expand at rates above 5 percent. Diversification and regional integration are expected to account for an increasing share of this growth, with the further development of the Middle Corridor becoming one of the more important factors.

Inflation, however, remains a significant variable. Moody’s expects inflation in 2026 to differ considerably across the region, ranging from about 4 percent in Tajikistan to more than 11 percent in Kazakhstan. Such differences will affect monetary policy, borrowing costs and the ability of banks and companies to obtain affordable long-term funding.

Another notable development is the growing movement of economic activity and financing away from Russia toward other markets. According to Moody’s, this has continued to improve operating conditions for regional banks and companies. Government development programmes are creating additional lending opportunities, while an increasing number of financial institutions and corporations are turning to international capital markets.

Kazakhstan remains the regional leader in this respect. Its access to international and Asian capital markets has supported a rise in cross-border placements and helped diversify funding sources. During the first half of 2026, the volume of cross-border placements had already come close to the total recorded for all of 2025. This points to stronger investor interest, but also reflects a growing requirement among banks for longer-term financing.

For lenders, access to such funding is increasingly important. Longer maturities and lower funding costs allow banks to extend investment loans at home and respond to rising demand from companies. At the same time, international investors remain sensitive to geopolitical developments, meaning that access to external capital cannot be treated as permanently assured.

Uzbekistan provides a different example. Its eurobond-market activity was relatively limited during the first half of 2026. This is not so much due to limited market access, but rather to a transitional period in regulation and reduced financing requirements.

Taken together, these trends suggest that the Middle Corridor should be viewed as part of a broader reallocation of trade and capital across Eurasia. Significant investments are needed to fully realize the potential of the corridor. The main risks include limited transportation opportunities across the Caspian Sea, infrastructure constraints, project implementation, and increased debt burden. Despite this, the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus may also be indirectly influenced by geopolitical processes, primarily through the inflationary channel. Rising prices for energy and other commodities may delay monetary policy easing and lead to continued high interest rates and borrowing costs.

Low natural gas storage levels in Europe for this time of year, combined with rising oil and petroleum product prices, are creating new risks for energy markets ahead of the winter season.

According to Greece’s Oikonomikos Tachydromos (OT), European gas storage facilities are currently around 67% full. The publication compares the current situation with the energy crisis of 2022, when energy prices surged sharply.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East, risks to energy infrastructure and transportation, as well as declining reserves on the market, are putting additional pressure on gas, electricity and fuel prices.

The situation in Greece is being closely monitored ahead of the winter season. If current market conditions persist, heating oil prices could rise to around pound 1.80 per liter in the new season, compared with approximately pound 1.13 at the beginning of the previous season.

This means heating fuel prices could increase by as much as 60%, potentially placing significant pressure on household budgets. The Greek government is reportedly considering additional support measures.

Gas storage levels are one of the key indicators of Europe’s preparedness for winter. A sharp increase in consumption during cold weather, coupled with limited alternative supply options, could further increase price volatility.

A new rise in energy prices could affect not only consumer spending but also industrial production, transportation and inflation. European countries are therefore accelerating efforts to increase gas reserves and expand alternative energy sources ahead of the winter season.

President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Academician Isa Habibbeyli, has met with the President of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Professor Najeeba Arif, to discuss the development of academic and literary ties between the two countries.

According to ANAS, Habibbeyli said Pakistan had always been a friendly and brotherly country to Azerbaijan, adding that close relations between the two heads of state had helped establish and expand cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan across various fields, including science.

He noted that ANAS has conducted research on Pakistani literature as part of growing academic cooperation between the two countries.

Habibbeyli said the Institute of Literature of ANAS had translated Muhammad Iqbal’s Selected Works into Azerbaijani. He also highlighted the translation into Urdu of the Azerbaijani epic Kitabi-Dada Gorgud and his own book, The Great Azerbaijani Poet Nizami Ganjavi. Presentations of the Urdu editions had subsequently been held in Pakistan.

The ANAS president added that works by the Pakistani Sufi poet Sultan Bahu had also been translated by the Institute of Literature and were currently awaiting publication.

Habibbeyli further noted that ANAS maintains extensive ties with the Pakistan Academy of Letters, Lahore College University, the Pakistan Muslim Institute, Sindh University and other academic institutions.

He said the Pakistan Literature Centre was currently operating at the Institute of Literature of ANAS, while the Azerbaijan Literature Centre was functioning at Lahore College University.

Habibbeyli also proposed holding a joint event as part of the 12th Baku International Book Fair, which is scheduled to take place in October.

Arif welcomed the development of scientific and literary relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, describing the proposal for a joint event during the Baku International Book Fair as a positive initiative.

She said joint events contributed to deepening and expanding academic ties between the two countries.

Arif also noted that translation work on the history of Azerbaijani literature was continuing at the Pakistan Academy of Letters.

A fire broke out at a petrol station and near several parked trucks early Sunday after debris from a Russian drone fell close to the Yahodyn border crossing between Ukraine and Poland, Ukrainian officials said.

The incident occurred during a Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, prompting the temporary suspension of operations at the border crossing and the evacuation of people to shelters during an air raid alert.

Valentyna Chernysh, a spokesperson for Volyn Customs, said the Yahodyn crossing suspended all operations while the alert was in force, with people taking shelter for safety.

Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, said there had been no direct strike on the Yahodyn checkpoint itself. However, several facilities in the vicinity of the border were targeted, including a petrol station and railway infrastructure.

‘Those crossing the border should be aware that the enemy may target checkpoints, including those on borders with EU countries,’ Demchenko said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

The affected crossing is also known as the Yahodyn-Dorohusk border crossing, one of Ukraine’s key road links with Poland and the European Union.

Polish Armed Forces command said fighter jets were scrambled overnight in response to the Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, amid heightened security along Poland’s eastern frontier.

The attack also affected railway infrastructure near the border. Ukraine’s state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said a Russian strike hit a passenger train locomotive approximately two kilometres from the Polish border.

The train crew had been warned in advance by a monitoring group, allowing the locomotive to be stopped. No injuries were reported.

The incident prompted a strong reaction from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who said Russia’s attacks near the Ukrainian-Polish border demonstrated the growing proximity of the war to NATO and EU territory.

‘Russia’s barbaric strikes on the Ukrainian-Polish border checkpoint Yahodyn are not just a continuation of its attacks on our state borders. This is Putin’s terror ‘knocking’ directly at the doors of the EU and NATO,’ Sybiha wrote on X.

He urged European leaders and Ukraine’s international partners to respond with tougher sanctions against Moscow.

Sybiha called for what he described as the ‘full force of sanctions’ against Russia, including a complete trade embargo, a total entry ban and comprehensive sanctions against Russia’s military-industrial complex.

‘Putin must understand that his barbarism will meet a decisive response, one that will raise the cost of war to an unacceptable level for him,’ the minister said.

The latest incident comes as Russia continues its intensified aerial campaign against Ukraine, with repeated air raid alerts affecting border crossings and other civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service has warned that border operations may have to be suspended whenever air raid alerts are declared, citing the need to protect travellers, border personnel and other civilians.

The attack near Yahodyn is particularly significant because of the crossing’s location on Ukraine’s border with Poland, an EU and NATO member. Although Ukrainian officials said the Yahodyn checkpoint itself was not directly struck, the incident brought the effects of Russia’s aerial campaign close to the territory of the European Union.

The deployment of Polish fighter aircraft in response to the overnight attack further underscored the heightened security environment along NATO’s eastern flank.

Iraq has dismissed senior security officials in the southern province of Maysan following a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Crude Oil Pipeline, increasing pressure on Baghdad to curb Iran-backed militias operating from its territory.

Saudi Arabia announced on September 11 that it had temporarily shut the pipeline after multiple drone attacks the previous day in Riyadh and Medina provinces. The East-West pipeline can transport up to 5 million barrels of crude a day from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, providing the kingdom with a crucial alternative to exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The attacks pushed Brent crude to around $110 a barrel before prices fell to about $105 later on September 11. The benchmark subsequently settled above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy described the pipeline shutdown as a precautionary measure. Satellite imagery, however, showed fires at pumping stations along the route.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the attacks were carried out by “several drones launched from Iraq”, causing injuries and damage. Riyadh said it had decided not to retaliate after Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi requested time for his government to take measures against attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

“The Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government,” the Saudi ministry said.

Zaidi condemned the attack and ordered an investigation into security failures in Maysan province, which borders Iran. He dismissed the commander of the Maysan Operations Command, which oversees military security in the province, and later ordered the dismissal of the provincial police chief and the transfer of other security officials pending the investigation.

“His Excellency’s directives come in light of the recent security breaches that occurred in the province,” Sabah al Numan, spokesman for the commander in chief of Iraq’s armed forces, said on September 12.

The incident comes amid growing tensions between Baghdad and Iran-backed armed groups operating in Iraq.

In late July, Iraqi militias launched drone attacks against Saudi energy facilities, prompting Saudi and US forces to carry out airstrikes against militia positions in Iraq on July 28. The strikes reportedly killed a Houthi commander as well as Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers.

The July attacks came shortly after Yemen’s Houthi movement announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20. The Houthis have since carried out further attacks against Saudi energy infrastructure in the country’s south and along its western coast.

Iraqi militias and the Houthis have also reportedly deepened operational cooperation. The Houthis were reported to have assisted Iraqi militias in planning and carrying out the July attacks on Saudi targets.

The latest incident comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Zaidi’s government. The Iraqi prime minister has given Iran-backed armed groups until September 30 to disarm, but several powerful militias have rejected the demand or imposed conditions that could make disarmament difficult.

The Saudi pipeline attack therefore presents Baghdad with a difficult test. Riyadh has so far refrained from responding militarily, giving the Iraqi government an opportunity to demonstrate that it can prevent attacks on Saudi territory from being launched from Iraq.

At the same time, the incident underscores the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s alternative oil-export routes. With the East-West pipeline designed to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, attacks against the route could have implications well beyond Saudi Arabia, particularly if disruptions to Gulf energy infrastructure become more frequent.

The finalists have been determined for the “Sea Breeze 2026” international beach polo tournament, held at “Havana Beach” within the “Sea Breeze Resort” complex.

The Equestrian Federation of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ARAF) reported that the “Elite” team and the Swiss club “St. Moritz” will face off in the decisive match. The Azerbaijani representative earned this spot by defeating the British club “Red Star” 9-7. Team captain Elchin Jamalli once again demonstrated his scoring prowess, netting six goals just as he had in the opening match. Meanwhile, “St. Moritz” advanced to the final by defeating the Russian team “Moscow” 6-4.

Tomorrow, “Moscow” will face the British club “Red Star” in the match for third place.

Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Bar Association Aydin Akhundov has visited Tashkent at the invitation of the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan, according to the Azerbaijan Bar Association.

During his visit to the Uzbek capital, Akhundov took part in a roundtable entitled ‘Strengthening the Status of Bar Associations of Turkic States: The Experience of Turkic States’, attended by the heads of bar associations from across the Turkic world.

Representatives of the bar associations of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Trkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan participated in the meeting.

The roundtable focused on exchanging experience and views among bar associations of Turkic states, expanding existing cooperation and discussing joint initiatives aimed at further developing the legal profession.

Opening the event, Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan Shukhrat Sadikov highlighted the importance of the meeting and stressed the need to strengthen the institutional status of the legal profession.

Speaking at the event, Akhundov underlined the importance of further developing cooperation among bar associations across the Turkic states.

He briefed participants on the progress achieved by the Azerbaijan Bar Association in recent years as part of reforms focused on digitalisation, institutional development and international cooperation.

Akhundov also identified joint training and professional development programmes, exchanges of knowledge and expertise in emerging areas of law, the use of electronic services, and the harmonisation of professional ethics and standards of conduct as key priorities for cooperation.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Akhundov announced that the 1st Baku International Lawyers’ Meeting would be held in December this year and invited participants to attend the international event.

The roundtable also featured an exchange of views on prospects for future cooperation among bar associations across the Turkic world, issues of mutual interest and potential joint initiatives, with a number of proposals put forward.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on September 23 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to a media report.

Sharif has received an invitation to a reception dinner hosted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for heads of state and government attending the UN General Assembly, The News reported on Sunday, citing high-level sources.

The dinner is scheduled to take place at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue on the evening of September 23 and is expected to bring together a number of world leaders.

The gathering could provide Sharif with an opportunity to meet Trump as well as other heads of state and government attending the annual UN session.

The meeting would be the latest face-to-face encounter between the two leaders. Sharif and Trump previously met at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington in February. They also held talks at the White House in September 2025 and met at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt in October last year.

Sharif is due to arrive in New York a day before the reception and is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 25.

During his address, the Pakistani prime minister is expected to raise India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

The 1960 treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing and use of water from the six rivers of the Indus River system between India and Pakistan.

India placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025 following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 civilians were killed. New Delhi said the suspension would remain in place until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ended its support for cross-border terrorism. Islamabad has denied involvement in the attack and rejected India’s allegations.

Pakistani officials say several countries, including traditional allies and others, have assured Islamabad of support for its position on the water treaty.

Sharif is also expected to highlight the trilateral security arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye signed in Makkah on August 7.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement establishes a collective defence framework under which an armed attack against one of the three countries is treated as an attack against all three.

The high-level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 26, with an additional sitting on September 28 at UN headquarters in New York. Sharif is scheduled to be the fourth speaker during the second half of the session on September 25.