Category: Azer News

The Guba Open 2026, the second International Chess Festival, dedicated to the memory of international chess arbiter Gudarat Ismayilov, has concluded.

The winners and prizewinners were awarded at the closing ceremony of the competition, which was organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Azerbaijan Chess Federation, and the “Ag Top” Chess Club.

In the A tournament, Misratdin Iskandarov won the Guba Open 2026 International Chess Festival after scoring 7 points in 9 rounds. Vugar Manafov, who also scored 7 points, finished second based on tiebreak criteria. FIDE player Mikhail Mozharov completed the top three with 6.5 points.

In the B tournament, Ali Mammadov claimed first place with 8 points. Emin Ganjaliyev and Anar Bagishov, who each scored 7 points, shared second and third places.

Rapid and blitz competitions were also held as part of the festival. Rustam Rustamov won the rapid tournament, while Khagan Ahmad took first place in the blitz competition.

More than 300 chess players from 11 countries competed in the tournament. With a total prize fund of 24,420 manats, the festival featured classical, rapid, blitz, and norm tournaments.

The next competition to be held as part of the Azerbaijan Chess Tour will be the Ganja Open.

The festival will take place in Ganja, the city of Nizami, from October 11 to 18.

American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has unveiled its first fully autonomous robotaxi, the Cybercab, in Japan.

The vehicle was presented to the public in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, attracting attention from visitors interested in the future of transportation.

The two-seat Cybercab has no steering wheel, accelerator, or brake pedals. It is designed to operate completely autonomously and uses eight cameras to monitor its surroundings and navigate the road. The vehicle also features futuristic butterfly-wing doors, a spacious trunk, and a large touchscreen inside the cabin.

Tesla has already started producing the Cybercab and has introduced robotaxi services in some parts of the United States. However, the company currently has no plans to sell the vehicle in Japan. According to the head of Tesla’s Japanese division, the company would like to launch a self-driving taxi service in Japan if the necessary conditions and regulations are in place.

The Cybercab exhibition will be held in Osaka from September 18 and in Nagoya from September 22.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Cybercab is that its design completely removes the traditional role of the driver. Passengers would simply enter the vehicle, choose their destination on the touchscreen, and let the car do the rest. If autonomous technology becomes widespread, robotaxis could eventually change the way people travel in cities by reducing the need for private cars and making transportation more accessible.

However, the technology also raises important questions about safety, responsibility in the event of an accident, and the future of jobs for professional drivers. As a result, the success of robotaxis will depend not only on technological progress but also on public trust and government regulations.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said his government will pursue the diversification of the country’s gas supplies regardless of potential price increases, including exploring the possibility of receiving transit fees from a gas pipeline passing through Armenia under the TRIPP project.

‘Gas in Armenia is not cheap,’ Pashinyan said, arguing that the largest price mark-up occurs between the border and the consumer compared with other countries.

‘What difference does it make to the consumer how much gas costs at the border, even if it is one metre from their home, if they pay a different price for that gas?’ he said.

Pashinyan also said that Gazprom Armenia is a profitable company generating significant revenues.

‘Gazprom Armenia is a profitable company that makes large profits. This is also a fact that we have to record,’ the prime minister said.

He stressed that Armenia would continue to pursue diversification across all sectors as part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s independence and statehood.

‘There is no area in which we will not pursue diversification,’ Pashinyan said. ‘We have a political decision: we will develop our independence and we will develop our statehood.’

Addressing the possibility of higher gas prices, Pashinyan said the government would assess the potential impact on other goods and services if such a scenario materialised.

‘If there are such situations with price increases, we will also look at what can become more expensive or what we currently provide for free, and that could proportionally increase in price,’ he said.

Pashinyan added that Armenia would seek to expand its gas supply options wherever possible.

‘If there is an opportunity to bring gas from a second source, or to bring more gas from a second source, we will pursue that path,’ he said. ‘If there is an opportunity to bring it from a third source, we will pursue that path. If there is an opportunity to receive it from a fourth source, we will pursue that path.’

He also specifically mentioned the possibility of Armenia benefiting from gas transit under the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

‘If there is an opportunity for a gas pipeline to transit through Armenia within the framework of TRIPP, and for us to receive transit payments for this as well, we can pursue that path,’ Pashinyan said.

‘We envisage our actions under all scenarios,’ the Armenian prime minister added.

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry has introduced an electronic application option for admission to arts education programmes in the territories liberated from occupation, with the aim of organizing arts education and ensuring children’s access to artistic training.

Individuals wishing to receive arts education in Khankandi city and the Shusha, Lachin, Kalbajar, Jabrayil and Zangilan districts can submit their applications electronically.

Those interested in studying different areas of the arts can apply through the unified personal account on the “MyCulture” platform.

The applications will be analysed according to location and field of study. Based on the identified demand, the necessary measures will be taken to organize classes, determine the relevant specializations and provide teachers.

For this purpose, a dedicated application section for the liberated territories has been activated on the “MyCulture” platform.

Chinese representative at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said on Thursday that the attempts to reactivate UN sanctions against Iran are “unlawful” and “divisive.”

China also warned that the initiative to impose sanctions would hamper efforts to reach a settlement regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

The envoy spoke at the UNSC meeting about the situation in Iran. Russia also expressed support for Tehran, amid efforts by the United States to economically isolate the Middle Eastern country and pressure its trade partners to cut ties.

Azerbaijan’s growing engagement with Central Asia is evolving beyond a series of bilateral partnerships into a broader regional framework linking the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia, according to an analysis published by the Jamestown Foundation.

The analysis, titled ‘Summer Diplomacy Deepens Azerbaijan’s Integration with Central Asia,’ was authored by Roza Bayramli, a leading research fellow at the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) in Baku, Azerbaijan. It examines Azerbaijan’s expanding political, economic, and transport ties with the five Central Asian states and argues that the emergence of the ‘C6’ format is giving practical shape to a wider regional architecture.

AzerNEWS presents the analysis:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Uzbekistan on August 23-24 was another milestone in the rapidly expanding relationship between Baku and Tashkent. Aliyev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired the third meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council and signed a Treaty on Eternal Friendship. The accompanying package included an action plan to implement investment and trade agreements, along with agreements and cooperation programs covering pensions, tourism, culture, justice, customs-related cooperation, and interregional ties. The program was designed to increase bilateral trade turnover to $1 billion by 2030 (President of Azerbaijan; President of Uzbekistan, August 23). The two presidents also launched joint initiatives in sectors including banking, construction materials, education, fuel infrastructure, mineral processing, horticulture, and large-scale residential and tourism developments (President of Uzbekistan, August 23).

Viewed in isolation, the visit reflects the growing institutional density of the Azerbaijani-Uzbek alliance. Viewed within the broader diplomatic sequence of summer 2026, however, it points to a larger regional development. A series of high-level meetings between Azerbaijan and Central Asian states preceded the Uzbekistan visit. These included Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s state visit to Azerbaijan on June 22-23, Aliyev’s state visit to Kyrgyzstan on July 31, and, later that same day, an informal meeting between Aliyev and the five Central Asian presidents in Cholpon-Ata (President of Azerbaijan, June 22, July 31 [1], [2]; see EDM, September 10). At the meeting, Aliyev noted that he had visited Central Asian countries 16 times since the beginning of 2023, while Central Asian leaders had visited Azerbaijan 26 times during the same period (President of Azerbaijan, July 31). Taken together, these exchanges indicate that Azerbaijan’s relationships with Central Asia are transitioning from a series of bilateral partnerships to a more interconnected regional framework.

The seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, held in Tashkent on November 16, 2025, marked a key moment in the development of regional cooperation (President of Uzbekistan, November 16, 2025). Launched in 2018, the Consultative Meetings are an informal high-level summit mechanism aimed at rebuilding regional trust, addressing longstanding disputes, and strengthening cooperation among the Central Asian states. At that meeting, the five Central Asian countries approved Azerbaijan’s accession as a full participant in the Consultative Meeting. Mirziyoyev presented the decision as a step that would ‘build a strong bridge between Central Asia and the South Caucasus,’ while ‘paving the way for the formation of a unified space for cooperation’ between the two regions (President of Uzbekistan, November 16, 2025).

Azerbaijan had previously participated in the Consultative Meetings as a guest of honor in Dushanbe in 2023 and Astana in 2024 (President of Azerbaijan, September 14, 2023, August 9, 2024). Its admission as a full participant elevated Azerbaijan’s role in the forum. Before his August visit to Uzbekistan, Aliyev contended that Azerbaijan’s inclusion had expanded the format previously known as ‘C5’ into ‘C6,’ giving regional dialogue and strategic partnership ‘new substance and a broader scope’ (President of Azerbaijan, August 21).

The summer of 2026 illustrates how this expanded framework is beginning to acquire practical content. During Aliyev’s visit to Kyrgyzstan in July, the two countries signed a Treaty on Allied Relations and held the third meeting of their Interstate Council. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov described the treaty as a ‘truly historic event’ that marked ‘a new stage in Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani cooperation’ (President of Azerbaijan, July 31). The two sides also agreed to double the capitalization of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan Development Fund from $100 million to $200 million. They identified transport, energy, investment, cybersecurity, and financial regulation as areas for expanded cooperation (President of Azerbaijan, July 31).

The Supreme Interstate Council has become a key mechanism for coordinating the expanding Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan bilateral agenda. At its third meeting on August 23, Mirziyoyev noted that ‘the total portfolio of joint projects has exceeded $5 billion’ and that the two sides should ‘swiftly utilize $500 million in capital and subsequently expand this fund’ (President of Azerbaijan, August 23). Aliyev positioned the relationship within a broader regional context, contending, ‘Central Asia and Azerbaijan today constitute a single geopolitical and geo-economic region,’ and that close interaction between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan would largely determine the region’s further positive development (President of Azerbaijan, August 23).

Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan relations have become an important part of this emerging regional framework. Berdimuhamedov’s state visit in June produced agreements on energy and industrial cooperation, as well as customs arrangements for the advanced electronic exchange of information on goods and vehicles. The two presidents also agreed to enhance transport and logistics coordination to attract freight from third countries and increase cargo flows (President of Azerbaijan, June 22). This collaboration is significant because of Turkmenistan’s location on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. In 2025, more than 7 million tons of transit cargo traversed Turkmenistan, representing a 28 percent year-on-year increase (State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, February 19). The Baku-Turkmenbashi connection has become part of a broader trans-Eurasian transport network through Ashgabat’s promotion of the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Trkiye route and a proposed Caspian Sea-Black Sea corridor connecting Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Romania (Turkmenistan: Golden Age, June 24).

This broader political convergence is taking practical form through transport connectivity. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are already connected to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Trkiye via the Middle Corridor, which spans the Caspian Sea. The annual capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway rose to 5 million tons after its reconstruction in 2024 (President of Azerbaijan, accessed September 10). Baku Port’s planned container capacity is set to increase from 150,000 to 260,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), while container throughput rose 20 percent year-on-year in January-July 2026 (Report, May 12, August 10).

As physical infrastructure expands, coordination along the route is also growing. At a meeting in Ashgabat in February, railway chiefs from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan adopted a four-party protocol on digitalization, freight development, and corridor diagnostics along the Middle Corridor (Embassy of Azerbaijan in Turkmenistan, February 10). Mirziyoyev’s July visit to Georgia further underscored Azerbaijan’s role in the emerging transport architecture. During the visit, he proposed exploring the integration of the BTK railway with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway currently under construction (President of Uzbekistan, July 3; see EDM, July 15).

Azerbaijan’s emerging role as a trans-Caspian connectivity hub is extending beyond transportation into energy and digital infrastructure. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan are currently developing the Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor, which is intended to transmit renewable electricity across the Caspian Sea and potentially to Europe (Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, February 2, March 4). The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic link is creating a direct digital connection between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan (Report, August 5).

Azerbaijan’s state visits and full participation in the Consultative Meetings extend beyond expanding the institutional framework. Developments in summer 2026 suggest that practical connections across the Caspian are reinforcing this political convergence and integrating Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states into a more interconnected regional system.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would seek to block what he called “bad initiatives” if Democrats regain control of Congress following the November midterm elections.

“I’ll end up being a blocker – I’ll be blocking all their bad initiatives for two years,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

Trump described Democrats as “radical left communists” pursuing what he characterized as “bad policy.” At the same time, he said he would likely be able to work with them on certain issues.

“Probably I’ll be able to make deals with them. They’ll need something. Make a deal,” Trump said.

Trump also argued that the upcoming elections are not as “scary” for Republicans as previous election campaigns.

The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be contested, while 33 of the Senate’s 100 seats are also up for election.

Earlier, Trump promised to pay adult Americans $5,000 if Republicans win the midterm elections and did not rule out the possibility that Democrats could launch impeachment proceedings against him if they lose their majority in Congress.

Israel has opened its embassy in Ljubljana. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar attended the opening ceremony.

“This is the fifth new Israeli embassy opened in the past year and a half. We have friends in Europe and around the world, and we must strengthen our relations and cooperation with them. I will continue expanding Israel’s diplomatic network around the world,” Sa’ar wrote on his X page following the ceremony.

Israel and Slovenia established diplomatic relations in 1992, but Israel had not previously maintained an embassy in Ljubljana. Its interests in Slovenia were represented by Austrian diplomats.

The decision to open an Israeli embassy in Slovenia was made in June, following a change of government in the country.

The trip to Slovenia comes a day after the United Kingdom banned trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and France and Canada announced they would take similar action.

Wheat, tomatoes, sweet peppers and leafy greens could become the first crops grown on future lunar bases.

Four types of crops – wheat, sweet peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens – are being considered for cultivation in space facilities designed to resemble future lunar bases.

Margarita Levinskikh, Academic Secretary of the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Doctor of Biological Sciences, told TASS about the plans.

‘Tomatoes are, in principle, one of the four crops planned for cultivation in space facilities similar to a lunar base. These include wheat, sweet peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens,’ she said on the sidelines of a press conference presenting the results of the ‘Into Space with Your Tomato’ project.

However, developing new plant varieties adapted to space is a highly complex process. Future space crops would need to withstand harsh environmental conditions while also meeting specific physical requirements, such as having a suitable size for cultivation in confined spacecraft or lunar habitats.

As part of the project, Russian and Belarusian schoolchildren worked with researchers from the IBMP to send seeds of four tomato varieties – Pinnocchio, Groshik, Donetsky and Bull’s Heart – into space aboard the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite in August-September 2025.

The students then germinated the space-flown seeds alongside identical control seeds kept on Earth. The experiment was designed to examine how factors such as microgravity, extreme temperatures and cosmic radiation could affect seed germination and plant development.

Interestingly, the tomatoes that had spent time in space retained their main biochemical characteristics. However, researchers detected changes at a much more subtle level – within molecular mechanisms.

According to Levinskikh, some of the seeds could potentially develop changes in their genetic material in the future. If such changes prove stable and beneficial, they could eventually contribute to the development of new varieties specifically adapted to growing beyond Earth.

In other words, the tomatoes flying into space today could one day help scientists grow food on the Moon – and perhaps even on Mars.

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said Wednesday that he had severed all ties with Turkish interests in Uganda and called on Turkish nationals to leave the country. He also ordered his political supporters to demonstrate outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala on September 18.

‘I have already severed anything to do with the Turks in Uganda. They should pack their bags as soon as possible and get out of our country,’ Kainerugaba wrote on X.

About two hours later, he announced the planned protest and named the person responsible for organizing it.

‘We are demonstrating in full force at the Turkish Embassy on the 18th of September. Hon. Fadhil is in charge of this demonstration. PLU better do a good job. My order will not change this time. Instead we will arrest ANY Turkish agent who says anything different!’ he wrote.

PLU, or the Patriotic League of Uganda, is the political group chaired by Kainerugaba. Supporters responding to his post said they had received the order.

There was no corresponding statement from Uganda’s Foreign Ministry or President Yoweri Museveni, who is Kainerugaba’s father.

A long-running dispute

Kainerugaba’s latest statements are part of a dispute with Turkey that has played out publicly for months.

In April, he demanded $1 billion from Ankara over Uganda’s military role in Somalia and threatened to close the Turkish Embassy and block Turkish Airlines operations.

In June, he claimed Uganda had cancelled a multibillion-dollar Standard Gauge Railway contract with Turkish construction company Yapi Merkezi. He also said Turkish citizens had been given 30 days to leave Uganda and called for protests outside the Turkish Embassy, although those demonstrations were later postponed.

A central issue in the dispute has been Uganda’s demand that Turkey hand over or expel Fred Lumbuye, a Ugandan critic of the government.

Wednesday’s posts effectively revive that campaign, this time setting September 18 as the date for a demonstration and threatening the arrest of anyone on the Turkish side who ‘says anything different.’

What remains unclear

Kainerugaba is Uganda’s top military officer and a senior presidential adviser, but he is not the country’s foreign minister. His posts on X, by themselves, do not constitute a formal government order expelling Turkish nationals or severing diplomatic relations with Turkey.

They do, however, amount to a direct instruction to his political network to mobilize outside a foreign embassy on September 18, following months of increasingly public tensions between Kainerugaba and Turkish interests in Uganda.