Category: Azer News

Unity is the foundation for the future development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and for achieving lasting peace, development and shared prosperity, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said at the SCO summit in Bishkek.

Japarov noted that this year’s summit coincides with the SCO’s 25th anniversary and that Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship has been held under the theme “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”

“Over a quarter of a century, the SCO has transformed from a mechanism for building trust along borders into one of the world’s leading international organizations, proving its effectiveness and relevance,” Japarov said.

According to the president, SCO member states now account for more than 40 percent of the world’s population and approximately one-quarter of global GDP.

Japarov emphasized that nearly 200 events had been held during Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship. During this period, cooperation in security was strengthened, economic and transport connectivity was expanded, cultural and humanitarian ties were deepened, while digital development and artificial intelligence were added to the organization’s practical priorities.

The Kyrgyz president stressed that marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary should not only be an opportunity to review the organization’s achievements over the past quarter-century, but also to open a new chapter focused on lasting peace, joint development and shared prosperity.

“I am confident that we will be able to develop coordinated decisions that serve the interests of our peoples. May this anniversary year become a starting point for a new stage in the development of our organization,” Japarov added.

“A little over a year ago, Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the text of the peace agreement, putting an end to a 30-year conflict,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his speech at the SCO Plus format meeting.

The head of state noted that, thus, the South Caucasus region, which was once a zone of long-standing conflict, is becoming a zone of peace.

The Culture Ministry’s Scientific, Methodological and Qualification Center for Culture (MEMIM) has prepared, for the first time, a curriculum for art schools and centers in the field of photography.

The curriculum is designed to introduce new content and systematic approach to the teaching of photography, while helping young people develop knowledge and creative skills in the field.

The curriculum was developed with the participation of professional photography specialists. It was prepared by professional photographer Rauf Umudov, a member of the Board of the Gilavar Photo Club.

The document was reviewed by renowned Azerbaijani photographers Rashad Mehdiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Gilavar Photo Club Public Association and an internationally acclaimed photographer, and Rufat Abas, founder and editor of Fotoqrafika magazine. Fariz Yunisli, head of a sector at MEMIM, served as the editor of the curriculum.

The introduction of photography as a new field of study in art schools is particularly significant given the 165-year history of photography in Azerbaijan.

The initiative is also an important indication of the state’s attention to and support for the development of photography as an art form.

Production at industrial zones managed by Azerbaijan’s Economic Zones Development Agency reached 1.94 billion manats (approximately $1.14 billion) in the first half of 2026, marking an 8.6% increase compared with the same period of 2025.

Taleh Guliyev, head of the agency’s International Cooperation and Public Relations Department, said that 554.7 million manats (approximately $326.3 million) worth of products manufactured in the industrial zones were exported during the reporting period.

Guliyev highlighted the tax and customs incentives available to companies operating in Azerbaijan’s industrial parks, saying they are intended to reduce investors’ costs, expand production capacity and encourage new investment.

Under the existing framework, residents of industrial parks are exempt from property, land and profit taxes for 10 years from the date of registration.

In addition, machinery, technological equipment and devices imported for production purposes are exempt from VAT and customs duties for 10 years.

‘These privileges create additional incentives for optimizing investors’ costs, expanding production capabilities and attracting new investments,’ Guliyev said.

“Azerbaijan is already supplying petroleum products to Armenia and providing transit for third-country cargo,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his speech at the SCO Plus format meeting.

“We are working together with Armenia to increase the volume of mutual trade, expand the range of goods, and create new overland transport links,” the head of state added.

British political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported from the United States after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for overstaying his visa.

Yiannopoulos, 41, was arrested on Thursday, August 27, at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, according to US authorities.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed his removal the following day, describing Yiannopoulos as an ‘illegal alien from the United Kingdom’ and stating that he had been returned to Britain.

Yiannopoulos is a prominent right-wing political commentator who has previously voiced strong support for tougher US immigration enforcement, including aggressive border controls and mass deportations.

His deportation has drawn attention in US political circles because of his outspoken advocacy for immigration restrictions while he himself was removed for violating US immigration rules.

The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has warned Middle Eastern countries against allowing the United States to use their airspace or territory to launch attacks against Iran.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Iranian military said that several regional countries had allegedly created conditions for US forces to conduct military operations against the Islamic Republic from their territories despite previous warnings from Tehran.

‘If the US attacks continue, the Iranian Armed Forces will take more severe measures than the retaliatory strikes carried out the previous night,’ the statement said.

Iran stressed that it respects the sovereignty of neighboring states but warned that it reserves the right to target the source of any attack against its territory.

‘Iran respects the national sovereignty of neighboring countries, but reserves the right to target the source of any attack,’ the Iranian Armed Forces said.

Azerbaijan imported $992.1 million worth of information and communication technology (ICT) products from foreign countries in 2025, marking a 10.2% decline compared with the previous year.

Telecommunication equipment accounted for the largest share of ICT imports at $569.3 million, down 6.1% year-on-year.

Imports of computer and peripheral equipment amounted to $235.7 million, decreasing by 16.6%, while electronic equipment imports fell 17.7% to $134.5 million.

Imports of other ICT products, however, increased slightly by 0.64% to $52.6 million.

Overall, ICT products accounted for 4.1% of Azerbaijan’s total imports in 2025, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous year.

The death toll from severe flooding in northern Nepal last week has surpassed 900, according to a report by the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

The report said the bodies of 903 people had been recovered, while 10,461 people had been rescued.

Around 4,200 people remain missing, including 592 foreign nationals, according to the authorities.

Earlier, officials reported that the death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, near the Chinese border, had risen to 804, with more than 3,300 people still unaccounted for.

Search-and-rescue operations, as well as efforts to identify recovered bodies, are continuing.

Meanwhile, the United States has announced more than $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance for Nepal. The aid will include food assistance for up to 10,000 families affected by the disaster.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on August 31, 2026.

The leaders highlighted the historic significance of the Washington Peace Summit of 8 August 2025, the Joint Declaration signed by President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump, and the initialing of the agreed upon text of the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia.

The export of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, the transit through the territory of Azerbaijan to Armenia of grain and other goods originating from third countries, as well as the establishment of trade relations between the two countries were highlighted as important practical manifestations of the dividends of peace. The leaders also welcomed contacts between the business communities and exchanged views on opportunities for further expanding mutually beneficial economic, trade and energy cooperation.

The sides noted the important role of the respective state commissions on the delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia and emphasized the importance of continuing their work in accordance with the agreements reached between the two countries.

The leaders discussed further practical steps related to the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), one of the important outcomes of the Washington Peace Summit and underlined the significance of connectivity projects along the TRIPP.

The leaders positively assessed confidence-building contacts involving parliamentarians and representatives of civil society, noting their contribution to strengthening mutual trust and supporting the broader peace agenda.

President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed, through direct bilateral engagement, to continue the steps to further consolidate lasting peace, advance the normalization of interstate relations, and strengthen connectivity.