Category: Azer News

A logistics centre operated by Russian online marketplace Ozon was damaged in a reported drone attack in Saratov, Russia, with no casualties reported, according to local authorities and Russian independent media.

The Russian independent outlet ASTRA reported that a fire broke out at the Ozon facility after authorities issued a drone threat warning in the city.

Saratov Region Governor Roman Busargin said civilian infrastructure had been damaged in the attack.

‘As a result of the UAV attack, civilian infrastructure in Saratov was damaged. All emergency services are working at the scene. There are no casualties reported at this stage,’ Busargin said.

Ozon said its employees were evacuated from the facility following the incident.

The company added that its operations in the region would be partially restricted in the near future.

The circumstances surrounding the reported attack, including the cause of the fire, have not been independently verified.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) became capable of transporting an additional 1.2 billion cubic metres of gas per year as of January 1 this year. This has sent an important signal to the market. Azerbaijan will be able to increase its gas exports to Europe, where demand for new sources of gas remains strong. The additional capacity of TAP also opens the door to expanding the geography of supplies. At the beginning of the year, Azerbaijani gas started flowing to Austria and Germany, marking another step in strengthening the country’s position on the European market. However, this is not the pipeline’s final potential. TAP is designed for a phased increase in capacity to as much as 20 billion cubic metres per year. The current expansion can therefore be seen as another stage in Azerbaijan’s broader plans to increase gas supplies to Europe. This is particularly important amid growing interest among European countries in alternative suppliers.

Through this pipeline, natural gas produced at the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea is transported to Europe. Connecting with the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border, TAP runs through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea before reaching the coast of southern Italy.

Against this backdrop, Albania is of particular interest. The country’s government, together with US energy company Argent LNG, will assess the possibility of constructing a large-scale LNG storage and regasification terminal on the Albanian coast. The facility is expected to be connected to TAP.

Argent LNG, which is developing an LNG terminal with a capacity of 25 million tonnes per year at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Albanian government to jointly assess the project. According to the company, the plan is to connect the terminal to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the Ionian Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) and the Fier-Vlora gas corridor. This would allow LNG to be received on the Albanian coast, stored and subsequently supplied to several regional markets.

“This infrastructure will create an additional source of natural gas supply that is not linked to Russia and will provide the region with greater flexibility to respond to changing energy needs,” the company reported.

The proposed terminal is expected to have regasification capacity of up to around 5 million tonnes of LNG per year, as well as significant storage capacity. The project is being considered as a strategic regional energy hub that would help strengthen security of supply in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe, particularly during periods of peak demand, supply disruptions or high market volatility.

In March this year, Albania’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Erlind Sulo said that the country is well positioned to receive natural gas through TAP.

“This creates an opportunity to meet domestic natural gas needs, reduce dependence on electricity as the sole source of energy, and make energy resources more accessible to households, businesses and industry. We have decided to work on two parallel projects in this direction. The first is the revival of the Vlora thermal power plant project as part of an integrated project connected to the TAP exit point and a floating LNG terminal. The second is the gasification of Korçë, one of Albania’s largest cities,” he noted.

TAP is the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor and transports natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to European markets. The pipeline is 878 kilometres long. It runs from the Greek-Turkish border through Greece and Albania, crosses the Adriatic Sea and reaches the southern coast of Italy. TAP’s initial capacity is 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year, with the possibility of increasing it to 20 billion cubic metres. Following the TAP market test conducted in 2021, the pipeline made an additional 1.2 billion cubic metres per year of capacity available from January 2026.

It is no coincidence that we mentioned Shah Deniz at the beginning. bp also plays a key role in this chain as the operator of the Shah Deniz development, from which gas is supplied for export through the Southern Gas Corridor. It is the increase in production and export capacity at Shah Deniz that provides the foundation for further growth in supplies through the pipelines.

Unlike oil, which can be stored in tanks, natural gas requires a steady base of buyers. Azerbaijan therefore needs clear commitments on how much gas European customers are prepared to purchase. Based on these commitments, Azerbaijan can increase its export capacity. If Europe decides to raise the volume of gas it imports from Azerbaijan in the future, this could create additional advantages for the country. Such an increase would also require further investment in infrastructure, including compressor stations and pipelines, allowing Azerbaijan to expand its capacity and respond to growing European demand.

It should be noted that TAP right now is effectively the only major non-Russian pipeline route into Southeast Europe. And the fact that it carries an expansion option up to 20 bcm creates a real corridor of opportunity.

Albania isn’t the only player at the table. Croatia’s FSRU on Krk island has been operational for over three years (2.9 bcm regas capacity) and even though it’s running well below nameplate, it’s already taken a bite out of the regional niche. Greece is pushing the Alexandroupolis FSRU forward. Slovenia and Albania are effectively fishing in the same demand pool. This is happening because, since 2022, the EU lives by the mantra “any gas but Russian”, and Albania, as an EU candidate, reads the room perfectly. Building a gas hub tied to TAP is squarely in line with REPowerEU and Brussels’ broader diversification push.

The next step is turning that existing advantage into greater capacity. If Europe is ready to provide the demand, Azerbaijan has both the incentive and the infrastructure base to bring more gas to the market. In that sense, TAP may prove to be not the end of the Southern Gas Corridor, but the point from which its next chapter begins.

Iran has reportedly resumed producing ballistic missiles at underground facilities despite earlier strikes by the United States and Israel against missile-related sites on Iranian territory.

‘According to U.S. and Middle Eastern officials, Iran has restarted the production of ballistic missiles using components that had been stored at underground facilities,’ the publication reports.

According to sources cited by the newspaper, activity has been detected at several underground facilities, including a site in Khojir, east of Tehran. Iranian specialists are reportedly assembling different types of missiles, including rockets that require fuel before launch as well as models that can be prepared for combat more quickly. At the same time, Iranian authorities are working to develop additional underground production facilities.

U.S. and regional officials say that Iran is currently relying mainly on components that were stockpiled before the beginning of the conflict in February. One U.S. official suggested that production resumed on a limited scale after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17. According to his assessment, Iran had enough stored components to assemble at least 200 missiles.

The reported activity is significant because underground facilities are much harder to detect and destroy than conventional factories. Such complexes can also help a country maintain production even after airstrikes damage above-ground infrastructure.

The situation is likely to remain closely monitored by the United States, Israel, and other countries in the region, as Iran’s ballistic missile program is considered an important factor in the broader security situation in the Middle East. The development also raises concerns about a possible new arms race in the region and the stability of the ceasefire or diplomatic agreements between the parties.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that the village of Karki, along with other enclaves, is not part of Armenia’s internationally recognized territory of 29,743 square kilometers.

Pashinyan made the remarks at a briefing on Friday while responding to opposition statements opposing what they describe as the ‘inadmissibility of handing over’ Karki.

The prime minister reiterated his previous position on the issue, saying that calls to prevent any change regarding Karki could contribute to renewed conflict.

According to Pashinyan, those who say ‘we will not allow this’ are effectively inciting war.

He stressed that acknowledging a territorial fact and resolving the issue on the ground are two separate matters.

Pashinyan said that Karki and other enclaves are not located within Armenia’s internationally recognized 29,743-square-kilometer territory, while Artsvashen, also known as Bashkend, is part of that territory.

‘There is currently no agreement. My main task is to reduce tensions so that normal solutions can be achieved. But if someone says that Karki is in Armenia, this means that the territory is not 29,743 square kilometers but, for example, 29,750 square kilometers, and this means declaring war,’ Pashinyan emphasized.

The solo exhibition “The Legend of the Pomegranate” by artist Narmin Najaff has opened at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

The exhibition explores the pomegranate, one of Azerbaijan’s ancient symbols, presenting its traditional meaning in painting and carpet art alongside its possibilities for contemporary artistic expression.

In the “Pomegranate Journey” series, the recurring pomegranate motif takes on new meanings through changes in space, rhythm and emotional tone across different compositions, reflecting the dynamics of the artist’s thoughts and imagination.

In works such as “Pomegranate Horse” and “Horse of the Pomegranate,” the image of the pomegranate is presented in interaction with other elements. This approach allows the pomegranate to develop not only as a decorative motif, but also as a symbolic image expressing the artist’s individual artistic vision.

The exhibition’s presentation at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum creates a distinctive artistic dialogue between painting and carpet art. The exhibition also features the artist’s works devoted to religious and philosophical themes.

One of the notable works in the exhibition is a contemporary carpet woven in the museum’s Traditional Technologies Department based on the motifs of one of Najaff’s paintings and a technical design by carpet artist Sevinj Aliyeva. The work demonstrates how the pomegranate motif can move from one artistic medium to another and take on new forms of contemporary expression.

A symbol widely used in traditional pomegranate-themed carpets, the motif is presented here through contemporary texture and three-dimensional techniques, offering a new artistic interpretation. “The Legend of the Pomegranate” demonstrates how a traditional symbol can acquire new meanings and forms of artistic expression in contemporary art.

The exhibition will run through September 13.

A landmine explosion has occurred in the Papravand village area of Azerbaijan’s Aghdara district, which was liberated from occupation.

The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry, Prosecutor General’s Office and Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) issued a joint statement on the incident.

According to the statement, 21-year-old Sarkhan Bakhtiyar oglu Rustamzada, a resident of Tartar district, was riding a horse through an area that had not yet been cleared of mines when the horse stepped on an anti-personnel mine.

Rustamzada sustained minor injuries in the explosion. He was evacuated from the dangerous area by ANAMA personnel.

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Tartar District Prosecutor’s Office.

ANAMA, the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor General’s Office once again urged citizens to follow safety rules, pay close attention to mine warning signs, avoid touching suspicious objects, stay away from unfamiliar areas and not enter areas where fencing operations are underway.

The Azerbaijan Automobile Federation warns that fake emails have been sent in the name of the organization.

As a result of cyber fraud, emails have been sent to various individuals from the Federation’s info@faa.az email address, allegedly seeking donations for charitable purposes.

The Azerbaijan Automobile Federation states that such emails are not affiliated with the Federation and urges citizens to remain vigilant against such fraudulent activities.

One of the main problems with China’s economic growth in recent years has been the weakening of domestic consumption. For a long time, rapid income growth and a booming real estate market supported Chinese household spending. Now, the mechanism is working in the opposite direction. Falling house prices, slowing income growth and uncertainty about the economic future are pushing people to save more and spend less. The IMF also says that China’s long-term property crisis and weak consumer confidence are squeezing domestic demand.

The size of China’s economy makes this problem not just a domestic issue. China is the world’s second-largest economy and a major source of global industrial, energy and raw material demand. Therefore, Chinese households’ spending less in stores, restaurants, the car market and the service sector could also affect sales in other countries.

The scale of the problem is illustrated by current figures for China’s economy. Although the country’s economy grew by 5% in 2025, the IMF notes in its report that private domestic demand remains weak and that overall inflation in 2025 is expected to average 0%. In the second quarter of 2026, China’s economic growth weakened to 4.3%. In July, retail sales growth was only 0.6%. Industrial production increased by 4.5% over the same period.

An important contradiction arises here. Chinese factories continue to produce, but the domestic market does not accept all of these products at the same pace. As a result, companies are increasingly turning to foreign markets.

In August 2026, China’s exports increased by 25% in annual terms. Exports of high-tech products increased by 42.9%. In the same month, the trade surplus reached $ 119.1 billion. These figures show that China is trying to compensate for the weakness of domestic demand with foreign demand.

This process has two different consequences for the world economy.

The first result is negative. As China consumes less, it can buy fewer products and raw materials from foreign countries. This is especially important for countries that export oil, copper, iron ore and other industrial raw materials. The weakening of the real estate sector in the Chinese economy is already putting pressure on construction, investment and consumption. According to the IMF, a 20% reduction in the size of the real estate sector could lead to a 5-10% drop in total output over several years.

The oil market is not immune to this effect. China is one of the world’s largest oil importers. As economic activity, construction and consumption weaken, the growth rate of energy demand may also decrease. This could put additional pressure on oil prices. This channel is especially important for oil-exporting countries like Azerbaijan.

The second result is positive in a sense. When domestic demand in China is weak, manufacturers may try to sell their products at lower prices in foreign markets. This could lower the prices of a range of products, from cars to electronics and solar panels. Thus, cheap products of Chinese origin could reduce inflationary pressures for consumers in the US and Europe.

But this advantage also creates problems. The aggressive expansion of Chinese companies in foreign markets is increasing competition for US and European manufacturers. The rapid growth of Chinese exports has already intensified discussions in Europe and the US about industrial policy and trade restrictions.

The main point is this: weak consumption in China is a positive factor for global inflation, but a negative factor for world economic growth. Unless the income and wealth growth of the Chinese population accelerates again, it will be difficult for the world’s second-largest economy to support global demand as strongly as before.

Therefore, the key question in China’s future economic model is no longer just “How much can China produce?” The more important question is “How much is the Chinese population willing to consume?” For Beijing, unless the issue of reviving domestic demand is resolved, the country’s growing production capacity will increasingly be directed to foreign markets. This means cheaper products for the world, tougher trade competition, and weaker demand in some raw materials markets.

The teams that will compete in the “See Breeze 2026” International Beach Polo Tournament, scheduled for September 11-13, have been presented.

The announcement was made during a presentation ceremony.

Speaking at the event, the federation’s Secretary General Elvin Mammadkhanov wished the participating teams success and expressed hope that the strongest team would emerge victorious.

Reto Gaudenzi, President of World Polo, invited the teams from Switzerland, Great Britain, Azerbaijan and Russia to the stage in turn, after which the players posed for a group photo.

The tournament’s opening match will take place on September 11 at 16:00, with Red Star and St. Moritz facing each other on the sand. In the second match of the day, local side Elite Polo Club will meet Moscow Polo Club.

The tournament will conclude on September 13.

The peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is advancing faster than many had expected, and a final peace agreement could be signed well before the end of US President Donald Trump’s current term, US Congressman Abraham Hamadeh said.

Hamadeh, a Republican representative from Arizona, made the remarks in an interview with RFE/RL Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu on September 9.

The congressman visited Azerbaijan in June and Armenia in August, where he held meetings with the leadership of both countries. Speaking about the prospects for a final settlement, Hamadeh said the process was moving at a faster pace than anticipated and expressed confidence that an agreement could be reached during Trump’s presidency.

Hamadeh also discussed the ‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’ (TRIPP), saying the initiative should be viewed as more than an economic project.

According to the congressman, the route could help establish stronger political and economic links between Azerbaijan and Armenia while encouraging increased trade and investment from Western countries in the South Caucasus.

Hamadeh rejected Russian statements about the potential security implications of TRIPP, describing Moscow’s claims as ‘classic Russian disinformation.’

Alexei Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, has claimed that implementation of the project could create conditions for the United States to establish military forces and intelligence bases on Armenian territory.

‘This is classic Russian disinformation. They are trying to destabilize Armenia, a democratic country. Armenia is one of the most stable democracies in the region. Moscow is currently attempting to discredit Pashinyan among certain segments of Armenian society,’ Hamadeh said.

He argued that Russia’s influence in Armenia remains stronger than in other South Caucasus countries and questioned Moscow’s reliability as a regional partner.

‘Russia’s influence in Armenia is stronger compared to other Caucasus countries. The Russians cannot be trusted. Their attention is currently focused primarily on the war in Ukraine. They realize that a major vacuum has emerged, and the US is now filling that void,’ the congressman said.

Hamadeh added that Azerbaijanis and Armenians increasingly see cooperation with Washington as preferable to cooperation with Moscow.

‘Azerbaijanis and Armenians prefer cooperating with the US rather than Russia. We are more reliable. We are the party making peace possible. Russia has held sway in these countries but has failed to live up to the expectations of either,’ he said.

The congressman also said he expects the US presence in the South Caucasus to extend beyond the current Trump administration.

Hamadeh believes Washington’s engagement with the region will be long-term rather than limited to Trump’s current term in office.