Category: Azer News

Ukraine is preparing for the next round of peace talks, which is expected to be held in October 2026 in a trilateral format.

According to RBC-Ukraine, Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov stated this on the sidelines of the YES Annual Meeting 2026, organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

“We are preparing. For October,” Budanov said in response to journalists’ questions.

He confirmed that the talks would take place in a trilateral format.

Budanov did not specify whether the meeting would be held in the Middle East or reveal a possible venue.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was in a strong position in negotiations on ending the war.

Armenia may increase the rent charged for the Russian military base stationed in the country if Russia raises the price of gas supplied to Armenia, Vilen Gabrielyan, head of the Armenian parliament’s Defense and Security Committee and a member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said in an interview with online outlet Factor.TV.

According to Gabrielyan, revising the financial terms of the base’s presence could become one of the tools available to Yerevan in its relations with Moscow. He noted that Armenia covers a significant share of the costs related to the territory and maintenance of the base.

“If the price of gas is to be increased, we also need to understand what instruments we have in the negotiation process with our partners to contain the increase as much as possible,” Gabrielyan added.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there was no need for the Russian military base in Gyumri. He also emphasized that Yerevan would not object if Moscow decided to withdraw its troops from the city.

The 102nd Russian Military Base is Russia’s largest military base outside the country. Located in Gyumri in northern Armenia, it is Russia’s only military base in the South Caucasus and was established in 1995.

Greece recorded the highest number of asylum applications per capita among European Union (EU) countries in the first half of this year.

According to Kathimerini, around 23,000 international protection applications were registered in Greece during the first six months of the year.

Calculations show that this amounts to 2,254 applications per 1 million inhabitants. In other words, there was roughly one asylum application for every 444 residents. The average across EU+ countries was around 710 applications per 1 million people.

Greece’s per-capita application rate was therefore more than three times the European average. The country’s position as one of the main entry points along Mediterranean migration routes is considered one of the key factors behind the high figure.

Greece has for years been one of the main destinations for irregular migration and asylum seekers entering the EU. The continued high level of arrivals has again raised questions about the capacity of reception centers, the processing time for applications, border security and the sharing of responsibility among EU member states.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan will visit Aghdara and Kalbajar on the second day of their trip to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

As part of the visit, the diplomats will tour the Gandzasar Monastery Complex in Vangli village of the Aghdara district. They will also visit the Yukhari Vang Hydroelectric Power Station and the Dadivank Monastery Complex.

According to the program, the delegation will visit the Istisu mineral water bottling plant in Kalbajar and inspect reconstruction work underway in Zar village.

The diplomatic representatives are also scheduled to attend the Honey Festival in Kalbajar city.

At the end of the visit, the delegation will travel toward Goygol through the newly constructed Murovdag Tunnel before returning to Baku.

The representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan are visiting Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur accompanied by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration.

A total of 150 representatives from 58 countries and nine international organizations are taking part in the visit.

On September 11, the diplomatic representatives visited Khankendi and Shusha. In Khankendi, they first inspected ongoing work at the Khankendi Railway and Bus Station Complex. They then visited the Cultural Center in Khankendi, followed by a visit to the Victory Park, where they took a commemorative photo in front of the Victory Arch. The delegation also visited Karabakh University.

In Shusha, the delegation inspected ongoing reconstruction and restoration projects and visited the First Residential Quarter, the site of the new Shusha Mosque, the Molla Panah Vagif Museum-Mausoleum Complex, Jidir Duzu, Karabakh Street, Sadigjan’s House, the Ashagi Govhar Agha Mosque, Shusha Central Square, the Shusha Creative Center and the Uzeyir Hajibeyli House Museum.

The diplomats also took a commemorative photo in front of the Shusha Fortress walls and attended a reception held in honor of the Independence Day of the United Mexican States.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Miami during the G20 summit.

“Yes, of course. We have to come. We have to meet, talk and make a decision,” Zelensky said in an interview with Deutsche Welle conducted at a Canadian military base in North Bay.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the outcome of such a meeting would be the only thing that matters.

In addition, on September 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia could resume. However, no final decision has yet been made on holding another round of such talks.

There is currently no confirmed information on whether Vladimir Putin will attend the summit in the United States. The Russian president last personally attended a G20 summit seven years ago.

The G20 summit is scheduled to take place on December 14-15.

Two explosions were heard from the sea near the Iranian city of Qeshm.

According to IRNA, the blasts were heard in Qeshm shortly before the report was published.

Local authorities have not yet issued an official statement. There is no information so far about possible targets, damage or casualties.

It was noted that explosions have also been heard in recent days in coastal areas of southern Iran, including Sirik and Minab.

Qeshm is located along the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key oil shipping routes.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps visited the Istisu mineral water plant during their trip to the Kalbajar district.

A total of 150 diplomats representing 58 countries and nine international organizations were briefed on the activities of the Istisu mineral water plant.

They were informed that the Istisu spring is located in the Delidag area of Kalbajar, at an altitude of around 1,600 meters above sea level. The temperature of the water emerging from the spring exceeds 60 degrees Celsius. Istisu is considered a natural carbonated mineral water suitable for daily consumption and is distinguished by its rich and balanced mineral composition.

According to specialists, the water, formed under unique natural conditions, has properties that are beneficial to the human body. Foreign organizations specializing in balneology have also given high assessments to the water’s quality indicators.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on European countries to accept 20,000-30,000 residents of Gaza each, saying this would resolve the issue.

“If every European country accepts 20,000-30,000 residents of Gaza, this issue will be closed,” Smotrich said.

According to the Israeli minister, however, no country is currently willing to accept Palestinians in such large numbers.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said that the United States had helped prevent an escalation of the conflict in Gaza and claimed that the situation in the enclave had since calmed significantly.

“Very little is happening in Gaza right now. We helped bring peace to Gaza. If you look at Gaza, very good relations are now developing there. It’s really amazing. I think we’ve done a great job,” Trump added.

As previously reported, US President Donald Trump also said Washington was preparing a humanitarian aid plan for the population of the Gaza Strip.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that Russia remains open to holding trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine.

“We hope that, as discussed with the American negotiators, we will be able to meet again in the foreseeable future,” Peskov told Russian newspaper Izvestia. The Kremlin press secretary did not rule out a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the APEC summit in China in November, provided both leaders attend the event.

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that he expects to meet with Trump on September 20.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zeidi has ordered an investigation into the activities of the Maysan Operations Command and dismissed its commander after determining that recent attacks against Saudi Arabia were launched from Iraq’s Maysan province.

The Iraqi government said it rejects any attacks targeting Saudi Arabia or any actions that could damage relations between the two countries. Baghdad announced that an urgent investigation had been launched to identify those behind the attacks.

Ali Faleh al-Zeidi stressed that the government would not tolerate any activity that threatens Iraq’s security or its relations with friendly countries.

Meanwhile, Haibat Al-Halbousi, the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, said that the use of the country’s territory or airspace to threaten Saudi Arabia’s security was unacceptable and condemnable.

Iraq has also reportedly completely closed the Shalamcheh, Shib and Mandali border crossings along its border with Iran.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia reported that drone attacks targeting the East-West oil pipeline were launched from Iraqi territory. The pipeline transports oil produced at fields in eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The pipeline plays an important role in easing pressure on global oil supplies amid the ongoing US-Iran war.