Category: Azer News

Investments in fixed capital in Azerbaijan totaled 9.295 billion manat ($5.47 billion) in January-June 2026, marking a 13.8% increase in real terms compared to the same period last year, according to the State Statistics Committee, AzerNEWS reports.

The committee reported that investments in the oil and gas sector rose by 34.3% in real terms to 3.164 billion manat ($1.86 billion), while investments in the non-oil and gas sector increased by 5.5% to 6.132 billion manat ($3.61 billion).

By sector, investments in production industries climbed by 22.1% in real terms to 5.042 billion manat ($2.97 billion). Investments in the service sector grew by 9.3% to 2.955 billion manat ($1.74 billion).

Meanwhile, investments in the construction of residential buildings declined by 2.7% in real terms, totaling 1.298 billion manat ($764 million) during the reporting period.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Ukraine on Wednesday for talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties, advancing efforts toward a lasting peace, and enhancing regional security, AzerNEWS reports, citing Anadolu.

During the visit, Fidan is expected to be received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and hold meetings with senior officials, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, national leader of the Crimean Tatars Mustafa Dzhemilev, and Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov.

Hakan Fidan is expected to exchange views on steps to further develop Trkiye-Ukraine relations across various fields, particularly in the areas of economy, energy, and defense, as well as on measures to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

According to the information, the Turkish foreign minister will reaffirm Ankara’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Fidan is also expected to emphasize the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and reiterate Trkiye’s readiness to contribute to efforts to bring Ukraine and Russia back to the negotiating table.

During the talks, Fidan is also expected to highlight the importance of preventing the Russia-Ukraine conflict from spreading to the Black Sea, ensuring safe navigation in the region, and reducing tensions.

In addition, the minister will discuss the participation of Turkish companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction through their existing investments and projects. He is also expected to reiterate Trkiye’s position regarding the illegal annexation of Crimea and stress the importance of further steps to strengthen the rights of the Crimean Tatar community.

It should be noted that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is currently visiting Ukraine.

On July 15, President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Honors to pay tribute to National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the architect and founder of the modern independent Azerbaijani state, AzerNEWS reports.

The Slovak President laid a wreath at the National Leader’s grave.

President Peter Pellegrini also laid flowers at the graves of prominent ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva, outstanding statesman Aziz Aliyev, and Professor Tamerlan Aliyev.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly on Saturday, as reported, apparently just hours after a phone conversation with President Donald Trump in which he said he still had important work to complete, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Axios, Graham had spent his final weeks advancing a number of foreign policy initiatives, including efforts to promote the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

During the call, Graham reportedly briefed Trump on his recent visit to Ukraine, where he toured a military drone production facility and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two also discussed proposed sanctions against Russia that Graham hoped the Senate would pass.

Trump later told reporters that Graham had sounded tired during the conversation but otherwise appeared to be in good condition. The president said they had also discussed advancing the SAVE Act, a voter identification bill, through Congress.

According to Axios, Graham had also dismissed concerns about his health during a separate conversation with a person close to him, saying he planned to see a doctor after a scheduled appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.

“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out, and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham reportedly said during the phone call, according to the publication.

Following the senator’s reported death, Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide through the following Saturday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster reportedly appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve the remainder of his Senate term.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in a speech in Kyiv on Wednesday to commemorate Ukraine’s Statehood Day that Ukraine and the EU had struck a “drone deal” to combine Kyiv’s experience with Europe’s industrial potential to increase production, AzerNEWS reports.

“We need to combine ?our strengths. Together, we can work on joint production. On making all of the components of the system work. And we can provide both defense industrial bases with the impetus needed to decisively step up investment and production,” Von der Leyen added. “This deal bring together Ukrainian ingenuity and Europe’s industrial scale.”

Her visit coincides with at least 20 injuries and six fatalities reported by regional officials from Russian strikes around Ukraine.

Previously, Ukraine was set to use a part of its defense aid funds from the European Union (EU) to acquire drone parts from Chinese companies, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

According to the outlet, the EU allocated a pound 6 billion defense loan to Ukraine in case of military emergencies and has approved purchases of Chinese components if other alternatives are unavailable.

The alleged decision may prove significant in relations between Russia and China, which have a developed military cooperation and are set to hold joint naval drills later this month.

Despite the EU’s strategic aim of reducing its dependence on Chinese supply chains, immediate military needs appear to have prompted this regulatory exception. The EU has allocated a pound 6 billion defence loan for urgent military procurements, explicitly permitting the use of these funds for Chinese components where no domestic alternatives are available. This situation highlights a strategic complexity, as Chinese components are also integral to Russian military capabilities.

The procurement appears to emphasise Ukraine’s immediate military needs, suggesting that short-term priorities take precedence over long-term supply chain diversification.

Market behaviour suggests that the news could increase the perceived likelihood of Ukraine strengthening its military capabilities, which could in turn influence the situation regarding Crimea.

The World Para Taekwondo Federation has announced its latest athlete world rankings, AzerNEWS reports.

Several Azerbaijani para taekwondo athletes have improved their positions in the new rankings.

Paralympic champion Imamaddin Khalilov has retained the top spot in the men’s 70 kg weight category with 495.75 points.

Paralympic bronze medalist Sabir Zeynalov (58 kg) climbed to second place after increasing his ranking score to 381.15 points, thanks to the two gold medals he won at tournaments held in June.

Amin Aliyev (63 kg) moved up one position to 21st place with 52.91 points.

Competing in the same weight category, Amin Shikhaliyev is ranked 23rd with 39.71 points.

In the women’s rankings, Samaya Hasanova (47 kg) climbed two places to 20th with 42.32 points.

Meanwhile, Orkhan Jafarov (80 kg) maintained his 24th-place position with 45.83 points.

Azerbaijan made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, competing in track and field and powerlifting. In the same year, the National Paralympic Committee was established.

Since 1996, national paralympians have taken part in many international competitions and six Paralympic Games. They enriched the country’s medal haul with multiple awards.

The Azerbaijani Paralympic team has made significant progress since the Tokyo 2020 Games, where they won 14 medals, including 4 gold, 4 silver, and 6 bronze.

Notable athletes, including Olympic gold medalists Lamiya Valiyeva and Said Najafzade, proudly represented their countries by waving their national flags during the official country parade at the closing ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games.

At the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, the Azerbaijani team won a total of 11 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze), competing across seven different sports

A civilian cargo vessel owned by Turkish shipping company Okean Maritime came under a drone attack off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine, at around 3:15 p.m. local time, AzerNEWS reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The vessel, Atlas Bey, was carrying a crew that included 11 Azerbaijani nationals.

The ministry said that all Azerbaijani crew members, with the exception of the ship’s captain, were safely evacuated ashore in the city of Odesa. Their condition has been described as satisfactory.

Search efforts are currently underway to locate the Azerbaijani captain, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Ukraine is maintaining close contact with the relevant authorities and is taking the necessary measures to provide consular assistance to Azerbaijani citizens affected by the incident, the ministry said.

The old adage that history always returns to empires because “there is no such thing as a former empire” has never felt more relevant than in watching France’s current diplomatic contortions. For decades, Paris positioned itself as the world’s lecturer-in-chief on democracy, human rights, and international law. Yet today, that same France finds itself scrambling to defend its own colonial possessions while simultaneously trying to silence nations that dare hold up a mirror. Azerbaijan’s emergence as an unlikely but effective voice for genuine decolonization represents not an attack on bilateral relations, as French officials would frame it, but rather the collapse of a postcolonial order built on selective memory and institutionalized hypocrisy.

The French narrative of its overseas territories has long relied on semantic structure. New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana are not “colonies” in Paris’s official vocabulary – they are “overseas departments,” “collectivities,” or “integral parts of France.”This linguistic rebranding serves a crucial purpose, as it allows France to declare that decolonization ended decades ago, while maintaining effective control over territories whose populations remain politically and economically subordinate.

The discussion gained renewed momentum during the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum, where President Ilham Aliyev once again emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to the issue of decolonization.

According to the Azerbaijani president, the peoples of France’s overseas territories continue to experience the consequences of colonial and imperial policies.

“For many years, the so-called overseas territories of France, which are de facto colonies, were under suppression. Different illegal things were taking place there, including nuclear tests. How many nuclear tests were held in Polynesia? Maybe 100, or maybe 200, or maybe more. And so many people were affected by that,” President Ilham Aliyev said during his speech.

The head of state added: “So many people lost their lives, lost their health, and when the Baku Initiative Group raises this issue, unfortunately, is unfairly accused of some kind of hybrid war. This is absolutely unfair. I think the role of independent media is very important.”

Central to Azerbaijan’s policy is the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), established to provide an international platform for representatives of territories that advocate greater political rights and increased international attention. Over the past several years, the organization has hosted conferences bringing together political representatives, activists, scholars, and public figures from New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and several other non-self-governing or overseas territories.

The French response to this activism has been predictably urgent. Officials and sympathetic media outlets have variously dismissed the Baku Initiative Group as engaging in “hybrid warfare” or acting as an instrument of Azerbaijani state interests rather than genuine solidarity. This framing deserves scrutiny. When France supports Armenian separatism – providing political cover, adopting parliamentary resolutions, and effectively undermining Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity – that is framed as principled advocacy for “human rights”. When Azerbaijan supports Polynesians or Kanaks in their internationally recognized decolonization processes, that becomes “hybrid warfare.”

President Aliyev also sought to distinguish Azerbaijan’s decolonization campaign from its bilateral relationship with France.

Addressing international media, he emphasized that Azerbaijan remains interested in normalizing relations with Paris.

“This has no relevance to our bilateral relations with France. I hope my message will be received correctly and will be heard in Paris as well. Because today we are striving for the normalization of our relations with France. They criticize us, we criticize them. This is not an attack, these are working relations. Between two sovereign countries. Both countries are equal. Neither is superior to the other in any matter. However, criticizing and expressing concerns is a normal matter,” the president added.

For many years, Azerbaijan sought to cultivate a pragmatic relationship with France. Paris was viewed not only as a leading European power but also as a potential cultural and economic bridge. Azerbaijani investments in French art and architecture, cooperation with energy companies, and regular diplomatic dialogue all underscored this desire for balance.

France remains an influential European power with considerable diplomatic weight within the European Union and NATO, while Azerbaijan continues to strengthen its position as a major energy supplier and transportation hub connecting Europe and Asia.

Neither country benefits from prolonged diplomatic estrangement. Instead, both have practical incentives to rebuild communication while acknowledging that significant disagreements will likely remain.

France continues to present itself as a defender of democratic values and international law. Azerbaijan increasingly argues that these values must be applied consistently, including when examining Europe’s own historical and contemporary responsibilities.

French society should understand that its government’s unfriendly actions and foreign policy decisions do not yield political or economic benefits for France, but instead harm and further undermine its reputation on the global stage.

Whether France and Azerbaijan can truly reset their relationship will depend less on diplomatic symbolism than on political consistency.

On July 15, President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, AzerNEWS reports.

The President paid tribute to the Azerbaijani heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence and territorial integrity by laying a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

President Peter Pellegrini also viewed a panoramic vista of Baku and was briefed on the history of the Alley of Martyrs, as well as the redevelopment works carried out in the capital.

Azerbaijan’s latest inflation figures have reignited speculation about the future direction of monetary policy. According to the State Statistics Committee, average annual inflation reached 5.7% in the first half of 2026, while consumer prices in June were 5.8% higher than a year earlier. At first glance, these numbers may appear to justify tighter monetary policy. However, a closer examination suggests that the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is more likely to maintain its current stance than either raise or cut interest rates in the near term.

The key to understanding the CBA’s likely response lies in its inflation-targeting framework rather than the headline figures themselves. The Bank’s official objective is to keep annual inflation at 4%, with a tolerance band of plus or minus two percentage points. In practical terms, this means inflation between 2% and 6% remains consistent with the Bank’s policy target. The latest readings of 5.7% and 5.8%, while elevated, still fall within that range.

This distinction is crucial. Many observers instinctively assume that any increase in inflation should be met with higher interest rates. Central banking, however, is rarely so mechanical. Monetary policy is inherently forward-looking. The CBA does not base its decisions solely on current inflation; instead, it evaluates where inflation is likely to be over the coming twelve to twenty-four months. Since changes in interest rates affect the economy with a considerable time lag, policymakers must respond to expected rather than past inflation.

Current data do not indicate that inflation has escaped the Bank’s control. Although price growth is approaching the upper limit of the target range, there is no evidence of a sustained acceleration beyond that threshold. Moreover, some of the recent monthly price movements illustrate the complexity of the inflation picture. Seasonal declines in fruit and vegetable prices pushed food inflation lower on a month-to-month basis, even though annual food inflation remains elevated. Such developments remind policymakers that temporary fluctuations should not be mistaken for lasting inflationary trends.

For this reason, an immediate rate cut appears unlikely. Inflation remains significantly above the Bank’s central target of 4%, leaving little room for monetary easing. Lower borrowing costs could stimulate demand at a time when price pressures have not yet fully subsided. The CBA would likely prefer stronger evidence that inflation is moving consistently toward the midpoint of its target before considering any reduction in the policy rate.

At the same time, the case for raising interest rates is equally unconvincing. Inflation has not breached the upper boundary of the target corridor, and there is currently no indication of an inflation spiral or widespread loss of price stability. Unless future data reveal persistent inflation above 6%, a sharp increase in core inflation, or a significant deterioration in inflation expectations, tighter monetary policy would risk unnecessarily slowing economic activity.

External conditions also argue in favor of caution. Azerbaijan remains highly exposed to global commodity prices, imported inflation, and developments in international financial markets. Oil prices, exchange rate stability, fiscal spending, and food prices all influence domestic inflation. Many of these factors lie outside the Central Bank’s direct control. Consequently, reacting aggressively to a single set of inflation figures could prove counterproductive if external pressures later ease on their own.

Recent communication from the CBA has consistently emphasized data dependence. Rather than committing to a predetermined policy path, the Bank has repeatedly stated that its decisions will reflect both actual and projected inflation relative to its target corridor. This approach provides policymakers with valuable flexibility in an uncertain global environment. It also suggests that stability, rather than frequent policy adjustments, remains the preferred strategy.

Taken together, the evidence points toward a continuation of the current policy stance. Inflation is undoubtedly higher than the Central Bank would ideally like, yet it remains within the officially accepted range. Cutting rates now could undermine the credibility of the inflation target, while raising them would appear disproportionate given the available data. Unless inflation moves decisively above the target corridor or falls substantially closer to the 4% objective, the most prudent course for the Central Bank is to remain patient.

In monetary policy, restraint can be as important as action. For Azerbaijan, the latest inflation figures do not signal an urgent need for intervention. Instead, they reinforce the case for careful observation, gradual assessment, and measured decision-making. Sometimes, the most effective policy is not to change course at all.