Category: Azer News

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov has met with Robert F. Smith, founder and chairman of Vista Equity Partners, to discuss investment opportunities and prospects for attracting international capital to the Azerbaijani economy.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum.

The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijan’s investment potential, economic reforms being implemented in the country and opportunities available to international investors.

They also discussed new opportunities emerging in global financial markets and their potential to support investment flows into Azerbaijan.

The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest, including potential new investment directions and prospects for expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Vista Equity Partners.

On September 27 – Remembrance Day, Khachmaz District Executive Authority Head Elnur Rzayev, Chairman of the Khachmaz District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party Emil Taghiyev, heads of local law enforcement agencies, families of martyrs, veterans and members of the public visited the Martyrs’ Alley in Khachmaz city.

Elnur Rzayev laid a wreath before the eternal flame at the memorial complex. The participants also visited the bust of National Hero of Azerbaijan Yavar Shahbazov and placed fresh carnations before the memorial plaques dedicated to martyrs from Khachmaz.

The executive authority head spoke with family members of the martyrs and inquired about their concerns. Elnur Rzayev said that the historic Victory achieved under the leadership of Victorious Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, has become a source of pride for the Azerbaijani people. He noted that the country’s territorial integrity had been restored through the bravery of the Armed Forces and that the sacrifice of the martyrs had not been in vain.

He also stressed that the Azerbaijani Army remains firmly committed to safeguarding the country’s security, while highlighting the special attention and care provided by the head of state to families of martyrs and war veterans.

At 12:00, a one-minute silence was observed in memory of the martyrs as part of Remembrance Day commemorations. During the tribute, traffic and pedestrian movement was suspended, and drivers sounded their horns.

While the world keeps its eyes on wars, tariffs, and oil prices, a story is quietly unfolding in the corridors of the UN headquarters in New York, one that will largely shape the face of the organization for the decade to come. On December 31, 2026, António Guterres steps down as Secretary-General after serving two terms, and as early as January 1, 2027, his seat will be taken by the tenth head of the UN. Seven candidates are officially in the race, four of them women. Whoever ends up the winner, difficult tasks await, because the significance, the influence, and the financial capacity of the UN are all under ever closer scrutiny from the global public.

According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO.” The person holding this post oversees several key UN bodies, among them the Security Council, which carries the responsibility of maintaining peace and security across the planet. The new Secretary-General will be elected by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, whose permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. That is why the pool of potential contenders is limited, and the process itself promises to be complicated and strewn with obstacles.

Seven candidates are officially in the race, four of them women. They are Latin Americans and Africans with solid diplomatic credentials behind them. The former president of Senegal and ex-chairman of the African Union, Macky Sall. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, a man used to putting out the hottest nuclear crises. The economist Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who currently leads the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The former president of the General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, and her compatriot, the diplomat Ivonne A-Baki. Guyana’s permanent representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and the veteran of UN diplomacy from Uganda, Olara Otunnu. Until recently the list also included the former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, but she was the first to drop out of the running, having received only a single vote of support last week.

The heated arguments are already beginning. Yet behind this outwardly orderly process lies a genuine battle of meanings. And the main dividing line runs along the fault of West versus Global South.

There are two unwritten rules at the UN that this time work against the established order. The first is the principle of regional rotation. By long tradition the post is meant to pass from region to region, and now, by common consensus, it is Latin America and the Caribbean’s turn. In the entire history of the UN there has been only one Secretary-General from there, the Peruvian Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, and even he served back in the eighties. In 2016 this tradition was already broken once, when, contrary to expectations, the Portuguese Guterres was chosen rather than a representative of Eastern Europe, which has never yet led the organization. Skipping the regional queue a second time in a row will be far harder. As the International Crisis Group expert Richard Gowan aptly noted, if Latin America’s claim is disregarded again, it will come back to haunt everyone next time.

The second rule is even more sensitive. In eight decades the UN has never once been led by a woman. All nine previous Secretaries-General were men. In September 2025 a resolution appeared that directly calls on states to nominate women. And at the latest BRICS summit, which by now gathered 21 countries, the final communiqué sounded almost like a reproach aimed at the UN. It reminded everyone that a woman has never been elected to this post, that only one person came from Latin America and the Caribbean, and only two each from Africa and Asia.

The economic outlook is hardly encouraging either. Today there is stubborn inflation, which may be driven in large part by the surge in energy prices caused by the war in the Middle East as well as in Ukraine. This hits hardest those who already struggle with the high cost of living. Because of inflation, central banks are forced to raise rates at a time when debt levels are already very high. Under these conditions the UN has to operate in an even tougher situation. The Security Council can barely pass weighty decisions, and the withdrawal of the United States under the Trump administration has forced cuts to operations. Some institutions, such as the International Criminal Court, are under direct attack. The security architecture that was patiently built after the Second World War lies in ruins, and the chances of creating a new one are close to zero.

Between now and the end of the year, a candidate needs to gather at least nine votes out of fifteen, and at the same time none of the five permanent members may cast a veto. And that permanent five is the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, among whom lately there has been no agreement. That is precisely why three rounds of secret balloting have still failed to reveal a clear favorite.

But whoever is chosen in the end, the inheritance handed to them will be a heavy one. The Security Council, in Guterres’s own words, is practically paralyzed by constant vetoes. The main donor, the United States, has slashed its funding, and hopes that the shortfall would be covered by China or Europe have so far come to nothing. What is more, experts admit that many states are, deep down, even glad that Trump is forcing a regime of austerity on the UN. The superpowers are no longer able to solve the world’s problems on their own.

There is one more paradox here. People, on the whole, believe in the UN more than its own leaders do. According to a GeoPoll survey for the UN Foundation, six people out of ten trust the organization on the things that truly matter to them. Yet at the same time 85 percent admitted that they had heard almost nothing about how the new Secretary-General is being chosen.

So what is at stake? At first glance, just a single post, largely ceremonial and, as they say, “remarkably powerless.” But behind the argument over the candidate hides a far more fundamental question. Who really sets the tone in the planet’s main international institution. The answer we will learn by the end of this year.

Azerbaijan’s national football team will begin its UEFA Nations League campaign on September 27.

The team, competing in League D, will face Lithuania away in the opening match of Group 2.

The match will take place in Kaunas and will kick off at 17:00 Baku time. The game will be officiated by FIFA referee Menelaos Antoniou of Cyprus.

The Azerbaijani national team will play its second group match against Liechtenstein in Baku on October 1.

The UEFA Nations League is a national-team competition organized by UEFA to provide more competitive international matches and reduce the number of friendly fixtures. The tournament was introduced in 2018 and brings together European national teams in leagues based on their sporting level.

The competition is divided into four leagues – A, B, C and D. Teams compete in groups within their respective leagues, with promotion and relegation providing movement between the divisions. The top teams in League A advance to the knockout stage, which culminates in the Nations League finals.

The 2026/27 edition is the fifth UEFA Nations League. The league phase began on September 24, 2026, and will run through November 17. League A, B and C teams play six matches in the league phase, while teams in League D play four.

For years, the world looked at Karabakh as a frozen conflict. Diplomats wrote their reports, mediators gathered around tables in European capitals, while along the line of contact Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians kept dying, again and again. The occupation dragged on for decades. And still Azerbaijan waited. Time after time Baku sat down at the negotiating table and agreed to principles recognized by the whole world, including the four UN Security Council resolutions that demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces. Those documents stayed on paper. No one intended to carry them out, and the provocations along the border went on.

On September 27, 2020, everything changed. The Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation in response to the large-scale provocations carried out by the Armenian armed forces along the front line. That Patriotic War ended in a glorious Victory that put an end to thirty years of occupation.

Azerbaijan took back what was its own. It did not seize anything foreign; it simply returned what belonged to it by every law. These lands can rightly be called the cradle of peace. Because the Azerbaijani people fought for that peace to the very end. Azerbaijan showed that justice sometimes has to be defended on your own, when international mechanisms turn out to be powerless or indifferent.

The South Caucasus has undergone a fundamental transformation over the past six years, moving from a region marked by unresolved conflict and instability toward new opportunities for peace, cooperation and development, political analyst Frank Musmar said in a commentary to AzerNEWS.

“Six years ago, in 2020, the South Caucasus was a zone of unresolved conflict and chronic instability. Occupation continued, international law was not implemented, ceasefire violations were daily, and the entire regional architecture was hostage to one conflict. The security environment was unpredictable and fragile,” he noted.

According to the political analyst, the situation today is completely different. He noted that Azerbaijan’s restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty had removed the root of what caused the conflict.

“With Azerbaijan restoring its territorial integrity and sovereignty in full accordance with international law, the root cause of war in the region has been removed. The long-standing conflict is over,” Musmar emphasized.

He stressed that the current regional environment provides new opportunities for cooperation and economic development. The expert stressed that Azerbaijan, in particular, has established itself as a responsible state, a reliable energy supplier to Europe.

The analyst pointed out that this transformation is taking place against the backdrop of growing instability in several parts of the world.

“While wars and crises are escalating in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and other regions, Azerbaijan has established itself as a responsible state, a reliable energy supplier to Europe, a key pillar of the Middle Corridor, and a country that ensures security and stability not only within its borders but far beyond,” Musmar highlighted.

He added that the atmosphere in the South Caucasus has changed from confrontation to opportunities for cooperation, connectivity and development.

Commenting on the prospects for lasting peace in the region, Musmar said that the current period represents a historic opportunity.

“The main opportunity is historic: for the first time in more than 30 years, we have a real chance to achieve lasting peace. The path to that is clear – mutual recognition of territorial integrity, full respect for sovereignty, border delimitation, and the opening of all communications, including the Zangezur corridor,” the analyst said.

According to him, peace will bring enormous dividends: opening of borders, integration of the South Caucasus into global transport and energy routes, foreign investment, and prosperity for all peoples of the region.

“The main challenge is the persistence of revanchist thinking. Lasting peace requires Armenia to finally accept the new realities, abandon territorial claims, amend its constitution and other legal documents that still contain claims against Azerbaijan, and stop arming itself beyond defensive needs,” the academic researcher added.

Speaking about the forces in Armenia that continue to hold the old mindset and on whether international pressure is needed, Musmar said that such forces remain a challenge to the peace agenda.

“Despite the historic chance for peace, there are still revanchist forces in Armenia – remnants of the former junta, nationalist circles, and their sponsors abroad – who live with the myths of the past, who poison their society with hatred, and who openly call for revenge,” he said.

The analyst stated that such rhetoric could undermine efforts toward peace and argued that Azerbaijan had demonstrated goodwill by putting forward peace proposals.

“Azerbaijan has shown goodwill and has proposed peace. But peace cannot be one-sided,” Musmar stressed.

At the same time, he pointed out that the primary responsibility for choosing the path toward peace rests with Armenia itself.

However, Musmar also argued that the international community and countries with interests in the South Caucasus have a role to play.

“The support of regional actors who sincerely want stability – first and foremost Trkiye, as well as partners interested in connectivity and energy security – is already important. But consistent international pressure and a principled position against revanchism are needed to ensure that Armenia does not miss this historic window for peace,” he added.

Baku Crystal Hall was filled with music, lights and thousands of singing fans last night as Katy Perry brought her hit-filled show to the city.

Perry performed crowd favourites including “Roar”, “Firework”, “Dark Horse”, “Hot N Cold” and “I Kissed a Girl”, keeping the audience on its feet throughout the show. A striking stage setup, lighting and special effects added to the atmosphere.

Earlier in the day, the focus had been on the cars and the action at the Baku City Circuit. By evening, the spotlight shifted to Baku Crystal Hall, where the sound of racing engines gave way to Perry’s music.

The scale of the show reflected Perry’s international success. Her music has generated more than 115 billion streams worldwide, while she is also the best-selling female artist in Capitol Records’ history.

For her fans in Baku, seeing one of the world’s biggest pop stars perform live made the night a special part of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

After a night of music, attention now returns to the track as the 10th anniversary Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes centre stage.

Williams driver Alex Albon has crashed out of the main race at the 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Albon’s car hit the barriers during the race. After the red flag was shown, the Williams car was removed from the track, bringing the Thai driver’s race to an end.

The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is taking place at the Baku City Circuit from September 24 to 26.

The race marks the 10th anniversary of Formula 1 racing in Azerbaijan.

Kazakhstan and China plan to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the Kazakhstan-China Investment Forum in Almaty.

China remains Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner. By the end of 2025, bilateral trade had approached a record $50 billion. Trade has continued to grow this year, reaching $32.4 billion in the first seven months of 2026, up 24.1% compared with the same period last year.

Tokayev also highlighted the expanding investment partnership. Chinese investments in Kazakhstan have exceeded $29 billion, while thousands of companies with Chinese participation are operating in the country.

Cooperation is developing across a wide range of sectors, including industry, transport and logistics, digitalization, smart cities, satellite technologies, agriculture, healthcare and education. Particular attention is being paid to technology and industrial cooperation, with Kazakhstan seeking to attract more production and high-tech projects rather than relying solely on traditional trade.

Transport connectivity is another important area. Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a major link between China, Central Asia and Europe, with around 85% of China-Europe rail freight passing through its territory.

Tokayev also noted that the visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and China has provided an additional boost to business and people-to-people contacts. The agreement on the promotion and mutual protection of investments is expected to further strengthen the legal framework for investment cooperation.

The two countries have increasingly shifted their economic partnership toward joint production, technology and logistics, reflecting Kazakhstan’s growing role as a regional trade and investment hub.

“So we wanted to create such a physical and administrative environment so that suppliers would choose to use multimodal transportation through Azerbaijan. Because if you go through Azerbaijan, you have to also use ferryboats,” President Ilham Aliyev said at an event held as part of the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum.

“So today we see a growing demand for transportation through Azerbaijan. Whether it’s East-West or North-South, we are sitting on these two important junctures. And by the way, we are one of the very few countries that are active participants in both transportation corridors,” the head of state emphasized.

On the margins of the UN General Assembley, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres.

According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sides exchanged views on regional and international developments, including Azerbaijan’s engagement in the UN framework and its role in promoting dialogue, stability, and cooperation.

Azerbaijan’s active participation within the UN and its specialized agencies, its active contribution to multilateralism, international law, and the principles of the UN Charter was emphasised.

The discussions also addressed Azerbaijan’s contribution as a donor country and its humanitarian initiatives.

The discussion highlighted global climate action and sustainable development, noting Azerbaijan’s successful hosting of COP29, alongside expanding role in renewable energy, transport, and regional connectivity.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov briefed on recent progress in the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process, confidence-building efforts in the South Caucasus, large-scale reconstruction in liberated territories supporting the return of former IDPs, and demining efforts.