Category: Azer News

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev concluded his state visit to the Kyrgyz Republic on July 31.

A guard of honor was lined up in honor of the head of state at the Issyk-Kul International Airport in the city of Cholpon-Ata.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were seen off by Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliyev and other officials.

United States President Donald Trump told Fox News in a statement on Friday that the war with Iran is “going well”, AzerNEWS reports.

“All you can do is keep winning, then eventually something will happen. But we’re hitting them hard, knocking them out for a loop, and we just keep winning. Eventually they’ll have no choice but to go home,” Trump commented.

Tehran and Washington continued to exchange strikes overnight, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) insisting that the Strait of Hormuz is closed.

In a statement, the IRGC said it struck and halted two oil tankers that it said had attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via an “unauthorized route” under US military air escort and four other tankers turned back after the incident.

“Last night, in response to CENTCOM’s false statement, we informed all owners of shipping and insurance companies not to pay attention to CENTCOM’s announcements,” the militia added.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that Russia must take an “active defense” role in countering Western sanctions, AzerNEWS reports.

“We need to be talking about active defense. It’s not just about sitting in a trench and firing back, but about active defense. We need to think about what tools to use in the future,” Medvedev said during a meeting on countering sanctions against Russian companies. He added that Western sanctions have not paralyzed the Russian economy, saying it is “alive and kicking and growing,” although the restrictions are creating difficulties.

Medvedev also argued that Moscow should “systematize” its response to better protect its interests and expand Russia’s influence in other regions. His remarks come after European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the EU introduced the largest batch of sanctions against Russia in four years and that it is “working on the next steps.”

‘A decision has been made to increase the resources of the Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan Development Fund,’ said President Ilham Aliyev at the third meeting of the Interstate Council of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan in the city of Cholpon-Ata, AzerNEWS reports.

“I am glad that the Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan Fund is operating successfully. We have made a decision to increase the fund’s resources, and several projects are already being implemented. I am confident that as the fund’s activities expand, the number of projects will grow. This will serve our common goals.”

Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is set to stand trial in what is being described as the first criminal case against the church’s supreme leader in Armenia’s modern history, AzerNEWS reports.

According to independent Armenian media outlet CivilNet, Karekin II and five senior church officials have been charged with deliberately obstructing the enforcement of a lawful court decision through alleged abuse of power.

The case stems from the dismissal of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan. Armenian authorities accuse Karekin II and other church leaders of refusing to comply with a court ruling ordering Saroyan’s reinstatement.

Those expected to stand trial alongside the Catholicos are Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Vahan Hovhannesyan, Bishop Edgar Hakobyan, and Bishop Artur Hakobyan.

According to CivilNet, Karekin II and the five bishops have also been placed under a travel ban pending the legal proceedings.

Relations between the Church and Pashinyan’s government have been tense since May 2025, with Pashinyan and others attacking Karekin II. As accusations against the Church and Karekin II specifically grew, Pashinyan made clear he was seeking to oust the Catholicos.

The case marks an unprecedented development in the relationship between the Armenian state and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has played a central role in the country’s religious and national identity.

An award ceremony for the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan was held on July 31, AzerNEWS reports.

Addressing the event President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov said:

– Dear Ilham Heydarovich,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Modern Azerbaijan is a strong and influential state playing an important role in regional and international affairs. Over the years of your leadership, Azerbaijan has achieved significant success in strengthening its statehood, developing the economy, and implementing large-scale projects. Thanks to your support and unwavering commitment to bringing our nations closer together, our brotherly countries have forged a genuine strategic partnership based on strong bonds of friendship and mutual trust.

Today, our relations have reached a qualitatively new level and have evolved into an alliance. Your role in the development of ties between Central Asia and the South Caucasus is of particular importance. Azerbaijan’s participation in the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia opens up new opportunities for expanding cooperation in the trade, economic, transport, and energy spheres. You also consistently use your influence to promote lasting peace, strengthen stability, and create a new atmosphere of cooperation in the region.

Your commitment to strengthening friendship between our countries commands deep respect from the Kyrgyz people. It is for this reason that I decided to award my dear friend and brother, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Heydarovich Aliyev, the highest state award of the Kyrgyz Republic-the ‘Manas’ Order.

This high award recognizes your outstanding personal contribution to strengthening Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani relations.

On behalf of the people of the Kyrgyz Republic and on my own behalf, I cordially congratulate you on receiving this high award. I wish you robust health, well-being, and continued success in your state duties, and peace and prosperity to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan.

Dear Ilham Heydarovich, allow me to present you with the ‘Manas’ Order.

x x x

Then, the Decree of President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov awarding President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev the 1st Class “Manas” Order for his significant contribution to the development of strategic partnership between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Azerbaijan and the strengthening of friendship between the peoples of the two countries was read out.

President Sadyr Zhaparov conferred the 1st Class “Manas” Order upon the Azerbaijani leader.

x x x

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his remarks:

– Dear Sadyr Nurgozhoevich.

Dear friends.

First of all, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this high award. I regard it as your recognition of my activities in strengthening the brotherly ties between Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. Over the years of our cooperation with you, our countries have travelled a very long and glorious path, elevating our interstate relations to the level of strategic alliance. There is no level higher than this one. I am deeply grateful to you for your personal contribution to strengthening relations between our two brotherly countries.

Our good, friendly, and brotherly relations serve as an important factor in the current successful development between our countries. I would also like to thank you sincerely for your kind words, and for this high order, and I want to assure you that in the future, too, I will make every effort to ensure the steady development of Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani relations for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a high award.

x x x

Then, the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan awarding President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov the Heydar Aliyev Order in recognition of his special contribution to strengthening the friendly and brotherly ties and partnership between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan was read out.

x x x

Speaking at the event, President Ilham Aliyev said: Before presenting this high award, Sadyr Nurgozhoevich, I would like to once again personally congratulate you, your team, and the brotherly people of Kyrgyzstan on the historic achievements that Kyrgyzstan has attained under your leadership. This is not my first visit to Kyrgyzstan, but it is during your presidency that our contacts have become regular. If we count the number of my visits to Kyrgyzstan and the visits of Sadyr Nurgozhoevich to Azerbaijan, there have probably been more than ten.

All of this, however, has taken place since the brotherly people of Kyrgyzstan entrusted you with the high office of President of the Republic. The transformations are visible to everyone. This is evident both to friends and to foreign observers who come and see them. They are impossible not to notice. Even what we are witnessing today in the Issyk-Kul region would have been impossible to imagine before Sadyr Nurgozhoevich assumed leadership of Kyrgyzstan. Today, this beautiful corner of Kyrgyzstan is undergoing unprecedented development. Never before has the region experienced such rapid development over such a short period of time. This is your personal achievement, reflecting your commitment to your people, your roots, the rich spiritual values of the Kyrgyz people, and your determination to bring Kyrgyzstan to a new level of development. You have succeeded in doing so. Today, the international prestige of your country is higher than ever, as evidenced by Kyrgyzstan’s election to the highest international body.

Economic and social development, the care you show for the Kyrgyz people, and the reverse flow of migration taking place today-not from Kyrgyzstan abroad, but from abroad to Kyrgyzstan-all of this would have been impossible without your personal involvement, your decisions, and your vision for the future. I have been to Bishkek many times, and this is not my first visit to the beautiful shores of Issyk-Kul. I can confidently say that progress is taking place throughout the country. The citizens of Kyrgyzstan naturally know this better, and I believe that the universal popular support demonstrated toward you serves as the main outcome of your work and probably the greatest reward. For its part, Azerbaijan highly appreciates your contribution both to the development of Kyrgyzstan and to the strengthening of the brotherly relations between our countries. By my decree, which has just been read out, you have been awarded Azerbaijan’s highest order, the Heydar Aliyev Order.

Allow me to present this high award to you.

x x x

President Ilham Aliyev then conferred the Heydar Aliyev Order upon President Sadyr Zhaparov.

x x x

President Sadyr Zhaparov said: Dear Ilham Heydarovich,

Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for this token of respect and friendship. It is a great honor for me to receive from your hands one of the highest state awards of the Republic of Azerbaijan-the Heydar Aliyev Order. This award holds special significance for me, as it bears the name of an outstanding statesman and a great son of the Azerbaijani people who laid the foundations of modern Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani relations.

I regard this order as a symbol of the strong ties between our peoples and of our shared commitment to strengthening our strategic partnership and allied relations. Thank you for this meaningful gesture, for your attention to Kyrgyzstan, and for your unwavering commitment to bringing our peoples closer together.

Thank you.

Azerbaijan’s Culture Minister Adil Karimli has visited the home of renowned composer and educator, recipient of the “Shohrat,” “Sharaf,” and 1st-degree “Labor” orders, and People’s Artist Tofig Bakikhanov, AzerNEWS reports.

The Culture Minister inquired about the composer’s health and conveyed his best wishes.

It was noted that President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva consistently pay attention to individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of culture and literature in Azerbaijan and provide them with continued support.

This tradition, initiated by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, serves as an important source of encouragement for creative figures.

Emphasizing that Tofig Bakikhanov has enriched Azerbaijan’s musical culture through his unique creative work, Adil Karimli said that the composer’s contributions to the field have always been highly valued by the state.

People’s Artist Tofig Bakikhanov expressed his gratitude to the country’s leadership for the special attention and support shown toward his creative activities.

Tofig Bakikhanov is a prominent Azerbaijani composer, violinist, educator, professor, and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan. He is considered one of the leading figures of Azerbaijani classical music, known for combining national musical traditions with contemporary composition techniques.

As a composer, Tofig Bakikhanov created a vast musical legacy covering symphonic, chamber, vocal and theatrical genres.

His works include eight symphonies, five symphonic mughams, six symphonic poems, numerous concertos for different instruments, sonatas, ballets, musical comedies, and more than 100 songs and romances.

Among his notable works are the ballets “Caspian Ballad,” “Eastern Poem,” and “Good and Evil,” as well as symphonic mugams such as “Nava,” “Shahnaz,” “Rahab,” “Humayun,” and “Dugah.” His music has been performed in Azerbaijan and abroad, including concerts in cities such as Paris, Moscow, Istanbul, Tehran, and others.

Tofig Bakikhanov has received numerous state awards and honorary titles for his contributions to Azerbaijani music.

He was named Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan in 1973, became a professor in 1983, and received the title of People’s Artist of Azerbaijan in 1990.

Tofig Bakikhanov is also a recipient of the “Shohrat” (Glory), “Sharaf” (Honor), and 1st-degree “Labor” orders for his outstanding services to culture and music. His work remains an important part of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage.

The Turkish Central Bank has held its policy rate steady at 37% for a fourth consecutive meeting, keeping monetary policy tight as it monitors inflation and geopolitical risks. The decision, widely expected by markets, maintains the rate at its current level following a 100-basis-point cut in January that brought it down from 38%.

The bank said the underlying trend of inflation decreased slightly in June, while recent data confirmed ongoing weakening in domestic demand. However, leading indicators suggest the underlying inflation trend will temporarily rise in July, with energy prices resuming an upward trend due to growing uncertainty around geopolitical developments.

The committee said it remains highly attentive to upside inflation risks and would tighten monetary policy if there is a significant and persistent deterioration in the inflation outlook. The overnight lending rate was maintained at 40% and the overnight borrowing rate at 35.5%. The bank said it would continue using macroprudential measures and liquidity-management tools to support monetary transmission.

The boards of Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and SOCAR Trkiye have held meetings in Trkiye to review operational performance and discuss strategic priorities, SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf said.

According to AzerNEWS, Najaf announced on X that the meetings focused on SOCAR Trkiye’s performance, the progress of strategic projects, and priorities for the coming period, including operational efficiency, digital transformation, innovation and sustainable growth.

“Today in Trkiye, we held the Board meetings of TANAP and SOCAR Trkiye. We reviewed SOCAR Trkiye’s performance and the progress of our strategic projects, and discussed the key priorities for the period ahead, including operational efficiency, digital transformation, innovation and sustainable growth,” Najaf wrote.

Regarding TANAP, Najaf said the board assessed the pipeline’s contribution to energy security in Trkiye and Europe, reviewed its operational performance and identified key areas of focus for the next phase of development.

“Behind every result we achieve is the commitment and hard work of our teams. I am confident that, guided by our effective operating model and long-term strategic vision, we will continue to contribute to Trkiye’s energy future, strengthen regional energy security and further deepen the strategic alliance between our countries,” he added.

TANAP is a key component of the Southern Gas Corridor, transporting Azerbaijani natural gas to Trkiye and European markets, and plays a central role in regional energy diversification and security.

On July 31, an official welcome ceremony was held in the city of Cholpon-Ata for President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who is on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.

A guard of honor was arranged for President Ilham Aliyev at the square decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, according to AzerNEWS.

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov welcomed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the President of Azerbaijan.

The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan were played.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev saluted the Kyrgyz soldiers.

The presidents passed along the line of guard of honor.

Members of the Kyrgyz delegation were introduced to President Ilham Aliyev, while members of the Azerbaijani delegation were introduced to President Sadyr Zhaparov.

The guard of honor marched in front of the presidents to the accompaniment of a military march.

The heads of state posed for official photographs.