Category: Azer News

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov had lunch together in Shusha on June 23.

A new shipment from Russia to Armenia has been delivered via Azerbaijani transit routes, AzerNEWS reports.

The latest consignment consisted of fertilizer weighing 408 tons, made up of six railway wagons. It was dispatched today from the Bilajari station toward the Boyuk Kesik direction.

To date, more than 33,000 tons of grain, over 7,000 tons of fertilizer, 133 tons of aluminum, 68 tons of buckwheat, and 414 tons of anthracite have been transported from Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijan.

In addition to transit operations, Azerbaijan has also exported petroleum products to Armenia. So far, exports have included more than 14,000 tons of diesel fuel, as well as over 4,000 tons of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline.

Earlier shipments included a train of 31 wagons carrying 1,984 tonnes of diesel and 135 tonnes of fertilisers on March 5, as well as additional deliveries of 887 tonnes of diesel on April 11 and 479 tonnes on May 9.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to His Royal Highness Guillaume, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

“Your Royal Highness,

On the occasion of the national holiday of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, I extend to you, and through you, to the people of Luxembourg, my sincere congratulations and best wishes,” the letter reads.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Moscow is ready to resume negotiations with Kyiv at any time, AzerNEWS reports.

“We’re ready to resume them at any time, picking up exactly where they left off,” Lavrov said at a Foreign Ministry event. Furthermore, the minister commented on the European Union’s efforts to be part of the negotiating process, claiming that all the bloc’s initiatives “have failed” and added that there is no need to take European initiatives “seriously now.”

“We are currently facing a situation in which any possibility of negotiations on an equal footing is being rejected by the bureaucrats in Brussels and their accomplices in Berlin, Paris, and London. Let me emphasize once again: they want revenge, to make Russia capitulate and accept the annexation of Ukraine, led by the current Nazi regime, by either the North Atlantic Alliance or the European Union,” Lavrov stressed.

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula overnight into June 23.

The media outlets informs one of the strikes targeted a thermal power plant located in the Arshintsevo district of Kerch.

According to available information, a major fire broke out at the facility, resulting in widespread power outages across parts of the peninsula. Reports indicated that nearly half of Crimea was left without electricity following the attack.

Satellite imagery also reportedly detected a smoke plume stretching approximately 47 kilometers from the affected area.

The Crimea-installed authorities attributed the power outages to what they described as ‘technological disruptions’ in the electricity grid. Officials said efforts were underway to restore power supplies within 24 hours.

In a separate incident, Ukrainian drone strikes reportedly sparked a fire at the Nasosnaya-2 substation in the Sovetsky district. Residents later reported that the TES-Terminal petroleum storage complex had also come under attack.

Sources further indicated that the Port Kavkaz facility was targeted, triggering a fire at a nearby oil storage site. Videos purportedly showing the aftermath of the strike quickly circulated on social media platforms.

The Crimean Wind monitoring group, citing satellite data, reported multiple fire outbreaks across the peninsula, particularly in the vicinity of Port Kavkaz.

Additional fires were reported near the entrance to Kerch, at the Yuzhnaya railway station, and close to the settlement of Bagerovo. Authorities temporarily suspended traffic on the Kerch Bridge and issued a drone threat alert as a precautionary measure.

The reports could not be independently verified, and no official Ukrainian statement regarding the operation was immediately available.

In recent years, India has emerged as one of the leading global destinations for aesthetic medicine and plastic surgery, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the country ranks among the top ten worldwide in terms of the number of foreign patients seeking cosmetic procedures.

India’s growing popularity in this field is largely explained by relatively affordable treatment costs, a high standard of medical care, and the availability of English-speaking specialists with international training. In addition, the country has a rapidly developing infrastructure for medical tourism. Today, India’s beauty and aesthetics industry is valued at over $4 billion, and experts predict that this figure could multiply significantly in the coming years.

Patients travel to India from the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Both surgical procedures and non-invasive treatments-such as Botox injections, laser therapy, and dermal fillers-are in particularly high demand.

According to plastic surgeon Dr. Shilpi Bhadani, social media has played a major role in increasing demand. She notes that constant exposure to idealized images online has intensified people’s desire for physical perfection, contributing to a steady rise in cosmetic consultations.

However, specialists also highlight the psychological risks associated with this trend. Doctors report a growing number of cases of body dysmorphic disorder, a condition in which individuals become excessively preoccupied with perceived flaws in their appearance. As a result, many reputable clinics now assess not only physical suitability but also the psychological readiness of patients before performing procedures.

Despite the boom in aesthetic medicine, many patients emphasize that their goal is not to achieve ‘perfection,’ but rather to feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin. Interestingly, experts say this shift in motivation-from transformation to self-confidence-has become one of the main drivers of the rapidly expanding cosmetic medicine market in India.

Canada has unveiled a new national strategy aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear energy, according to Natural Resources Canada, the federal department responsible for managing the country’s natural resources, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

Under the plan, Canada intends to support the construction of up to 10 new large-scale nuclear reactors nationwide. Two of these reactors are expected to be under construction by 2035, while an additional five are planned or already in development with a target completion horizon of 2040.

The strategy also places strong emphasis on next-generation nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs). In particular, Canada plans to demonstrate a domestically developed microreactor by 2035, with potential deployment in remote and northern communities by the late 2030s, where reliable off-grid power is often a major challenge.

In addition, the government aims to strengthen Canada’s position in the global nuclear market by expanding the use of its CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactor technology into at least four new international markets by 2040. It also plans to engage with between six and ten emerging nuclear countries over the next 15 years.

A draft policy outlining federal financial support for new nuclear projects is expected by April 2027. Authorities also project that uranium exports could double by 2035 compared to 2024 levels, reflecting Canada’s role as one of the world’s key suppliers of nuclear fuel.

Currently, nuclear energy accounts for roughly 13% of Canada’s electricity production. The country operates 17 CANDU reactors located in Ontario and New Brunswick, and Canadian nuclear technology is already in use in 26 reactors across six countries.

An interesting aspect of the new strategy is its connection to Canada’s broader climate goals: nuclear energy is being positioned as a stable, low-carbon source of electricity that can complement wind and solar power, especially as demand for clean energy rises due to electrification and the growth of data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has highlighted the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor, particularly its route through the South Caucasus, as a vital alternative for Europe’s trade, energy, and digital connectivity in an increasingly unstable world.

In a video statement shared on her X account, Kos emphasized that geography and reliable infrastructure are now central to European economic security.

‘We can make Europe’s trade routes and energy links more secure in a world which is anything but. For a long time, we relied on two routes to link Europe with Asia: the northern route through Russia and the southern route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. But conflicts are making these routes unreliable,” she said.

Kos pointed out that traditional northern routes through Russia and southern routes via the Red Sea and Suez Canal have become precarious. Many ships are now forced to take the lengthy detour around the Cape of Good Hope.

She drew particular attention to the growing significance of the Caucasus region: ‘Take a look at the plane map, and after the start of the recent war in Iran, almost all planes started passing through the Caucasus. It’s through here, the Middle Corridor, that we can secure our trade, energy and digital links. It connects Europe and Asia through Trkiye and the South Caucasus.’

Kos noted that trade along the Middle Corridor has already quadrupled since 2022, demonstrating its rising potential. However, current shipping times can reach up to 45 days. The EU’s goal is to reduce this to just 15 days by modernizing roads, railways, ports, and streamlining border procedures.

‘This will help lower costs for our businesses and make goods cheaper for people in the EU. It will help us grow our economy. It will also support the improving relations between countries in the region after decades of conflict, while also strengthening the economies of our neighbors to the east,’ she said.

Kos compared the initiative’s potential impact to the role of coal and steel integration in post-World War II Europe, describing the Middle Corridor as a priority for the European Commission.

‘Securing our trade, energy and digital links via routes we can trust’ remains a key objective, she concluded.

On June 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov visited the House-Museum of Bulbul in Shusha.

Member of the Milli Majlis Polad Bulbuloghlu briefed the President of Turkmenistan on the museum. He noted that the house, where his father was born and spent his childhood, was converted into the House-Museum of Bulbul by decision of the Executive Committee of the Shusha City People’s Deputies Soviet in 1982, on the instruction of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The building was renovated in 1982-1983, a museum exhibition was established, and an administrative building was constructed in front of it.

The house-museum, which ceased operations during the Armenian occupation of Shusha, was restored – like other historical and cultural monuments of Azerbaijan – after the city’s liberation. A new bust of Bulbul has been erected in the courtyard.

At the same time, the original bust damaged during the occupation is preserved on the premises as tangible evidence of the damage inflicted on Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage.

Azerbaijan’s Export and Investment Promotion Agency, AZPROMO, has held talks with a delegation from the United States Congress to explore opportunities for expanding economic and investment cooperation, AzerNEWS reports.

The meeting was attended by a delegation led by Abraham Hamadeh, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives.

During the meeting, AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev presented an overview of Azerbaijan’s business and investment climate, mechanisms for attracting foreign direct investment, and the agency’s activities aimed at supporting investors and exporters.

Abdullayev also highlighted the upcoming 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, scheduled to take place in September, and outlined potential areas for cooperation with international partners.

The discussions focused on Azerbaijan’s growing transit and logistics potential, opportunities for the participation of US companies in investment projects, technology and know-how transfer, and the use of various financial support instruments to facilitate business activity.

On June 23, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov concluded his state visit to Azerbaijan.

A guard of honor was lined up at Fuzuli International Airport in honor of the President of Turkmenistan.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev saw off President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.