Category: Azer News

Hungary will allocate $30 million to support reconstruction efforts in the Soltanli village of the Jabrayil region, according to the 2025 report of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS Reports.

The funding will be directed toward rebuilding residential buildings as part of the broader construction project in Soltanli. The Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the Hungarian Aid Agency signed a Letter of Approval confirming the grant for the project.

The document has received official approval from the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, marking the next step in international cooperation for post-conflict reconstruction in the region.

No further details have been disclosed regarding the issue.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline consortium has confirmed the extension of its maintenance contract with Albania’s Albania Gas Service Company (AGS Co) for an additional five-year period, AzerNEWS reports via Trend News Agency.

According to the consortium, AGS Co – a joint venture between state-owned Albgaz and Italy’s Snam, will continue to provide maintenance services for TAP infrastructure across Albania.

Commenting on potential gas supplies to Albania, the consortium noted that transmission capacity at the country’s exit point was booked for the first time during the 2021 market test.

‘TAP will be ready to technically provide the reserved capacities for gas exit in Albania in accordance with the results of the market test. The actual start of gas supplies is not within the competence of TAP, therefore we cannot comment on this,’ the consortium stated.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline transports natural gas from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan’s sector of the Caspian Sea to European markets, forming the final segment of the Southern Gas Corridor.

As a key route for Caspian energy exports, TAP supplies natural gas to South-Eastern European countries through existing and planned interconnectors. The pipeline is linked to the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector, which entered commercial operation in October 2022, enabling the delivery of Azerbaijani gas to Bulgaria.

Earlier reports indicated that, following the 2021 market test, TAP’s long-term transmission capacity will increase from 2026. A significant portion of this expansion has been allocated for supplies to Italy, while a smaller share has been reserved for Albania, highlighting the country’s emerging role in regional gas distribution.

More than 180 people are feared dead or missing following the latest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. The total number of fatalities in 2026 is now approaching 1,000, making it one of the deadliest starts to a year since 2014, AzerNEWS reports.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration said that so far this year, around 765 people had died in the Central Mediterranean – over 460 more than during the same period in 2025.

Across the entire Mediterranean region, at least 990 deaths have been recorded in 2026, despite a noticeable decline in the number of migrant arrivals in Europe.

“These tragedies show, once again, that far too many people are still risking their lives on dangerous routes. Saving lives must come first. But we also need stronger, unified efforts to stop traffickers and smugglers from exploiting vulnerable people, and to expand safe and regular pathways – so no one is ever forced into these deadly journeys,” stated IOM Director General Amy Pope.

On 5 April, more than 80 migrants went missing when a boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean after departing from Tajoura, Libya, with around 120 people on board. The vessel took on water in rough weather before overturning.

A total of 32 survivors were rescued by a merchant vessel and a tugboat and later brought to Lampedusa by the Italian Coast Guard. Two bodies have been recovered, while IOM teams are assisting survivors on the ground.

Earlier, on 1 April, 19 people were found dead aboard a vessel off southern Italy near Lampedusa. Survivors said the boat had left Zuara, Libya, overnight between 28 and 29 March. Fifty-eight people were rescued, including women and children, with several reported in critical condition.

After three days at sea, the vessel was left adrift due to engine failure, fuel shortages and lack of food as weather conditions deteriorated.

Despite a sharp drop in arrivals, fatalities are rising. Italy has recorded about 6,200 arrivals so far in 2026, down from 9,400 over the same period in 2025.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Russia is focusing on strengthening ties with the Islamic world, including expanding trade and investment cooperation, AzerNEWS reports

“We are paying great attention to expanding trade and economic cooperation with the Islamic world and implementing joint investment projects,” Lavrov said during a meeting with ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states.

He pointed to the upcoming Russia-Islamic World KazanForum in May as a key platform to improve cooperation, noting invitations have been sent to OIC countries. “We advocate for the construction of a just, multipolar world order that opens up new opportunities for equal cooperation,” Lavrov said.

Within Painting Week, the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union has organized a children’s art exhibition and competition titled “My Favorite Theme” at the Fine Art Gallery of the Children-Youth Development Palace No. 1 in Baku, AzerNEWS reports.

Farhad Khalilov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, People’s Artist, and Professor, noted that the main purpose of the event was to identify and nurture the creative talents of young artists, increase their interest in art, and provide opportunities for expressing their individual perspectives through painting.

The exhibition featured 51 works by 48 participants, covering a wide range of themes that vividly reflected the inner worlds of the young artists and their feelings toward nature, family, and homeland.

A jury of renowned artists evaluated the works based on the children’s creative abilities and their approach to the theme. In the 6-10 age group, Naomi Ahmadi won first place for “Breath of Spring,” Arzu Hajibayli took second place for “My Dreams,” and Nilufer Babakishiyeva earned third place with “Among the Blackberries.”

In the 11-15 age group, Nuray Babayeva claimed first place with ‘Infinity of Space,’ Mujgan Muradli was awarded second place for “Abstract Tree,” and Aliya Aslanzade received third place for ‘Mona Lisa.’

At the conclusion of the event, the winners were presented with diplomas and art books and were recognized with letters of appreciation for their creative approach and active participation.

A plenary meeting of the G-77 and China Group was held at UNESCO Headquarters, chaired by Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

The session was attended by Nasser bin Hamad Al Hinzab, Chairman of UNESCO’s Executive Board and Qatar’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, as a guest.

During the meeting, member states were briefed on the agenda for the 224th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board. Participants also exchanged views on the Group’s active involvement in the Board’s work and discussed other current matters.

In his opening remarks, Azerbaijan’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, emphasized the significance of the meeting in enhancing coordination within the Group ahead of important upcoming sessions.

He noted that the agenda for the 224th Executive Board session covers several key issues, including budgetary matters and the “UNESCO 80” roadmap, which are essential for enabling the Organization to effectively carry out its mission in an increasingly complex global context.

The Chairman of UNESCO’s Executive Board also addressed the meeting, outlining the main priorities and expectations for the upcoming session and stressing the importance of cooperation and multilateral dialogue among member states.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi talked over the phone with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and told him that United States President Donald Trump’s latest threat to Tehran “amounts to normalizing war crimes and genocide,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a readout on Monday, AzerNEWS reports.

Araghchi warned that, if Trump acted on his threats, Iran’s military would deliver a “decisive and comprehensive response” and stressed that the “consequences of such a situation will not be limited to Iran and the region, but will have destructive effects on the world’s energy and economy, for which the responsibility will lie solely with American officials and the aggressors.”

Meanwhile, Barrot emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict through diplomacy.

Over the weekend, Trump threatened to unleash “hell” on Iran unless Tehran opened the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening US time, vowing to target power plants and bridges.

On April 6, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a one-on-one meeting with President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili in Tbilisi, AzerNEWS reports.

During the conversation, the Presidents noted that Azerbaijani-Georgian bilateral relations are based on the principles of friendship, good-neighborliness, and strategic partnership. The sides hailed the successful development of cooperation across various areas, including political, economic, energy, green energy, transport, and investment. The importance of reciprocal visits at various levels in expanding bilateral relations was also highlighted.

They emphasized the significance of the joint transport and energy projects implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia, noting their strategic and economic importance.

During the meeting, the role of the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia in ensuring stability and security in the South Caucasus was highlighted.

The Presidents praised the cooperation between their countries within international organizations and exchanged views on the prospects for bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, the head of state signed the guest book.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Command announced that the Strait of Hormuz “will never return to its previous state, especially for the United States and Israel”, AzerNEWS reports.

The declaration apparently signalled Tehran’s rejection of US President Donald Trump’s call to open the waterway.

“The naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are currently completing operational preparations for the plan announced by Iranian authorities for a new order in the Persian Gulf,” the navy command wrote on its profile on X. Tehran had previously hinted it would impose a new order in the strategically important Hormuz Strait, possibly exerting control over it even after the end of the conflict. At the same time, it was reported that Iran was charging ships two million dollars for safe passage. Moreover, Iran allowed vessels from non-hostile countries to pass through the channel unimpeded.

Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “hell” unless the strait was unblocked by Tuesday.

A book exhibition titled “Theater Scholar Ingilab Karimov – 95” has been presented to visitors of the Azerbaijan National Library, AzerNEWS reports.

The exhibition marks the 95th anniversary of the birth of the prominent theater scholar, Doctor of Art Studies, ANAS Corresponding Member, and Professor Ingilab

The display highlights the scholar’s research on the history of Azerbaijani theater, dramaturgy, and the creative work of prominent cultural figures. It also presents his scientific works, monographs, publications he reviewed and edited,as well as materials in both Azerbaijani and Russian documenting his life and academic career, along with periodical press coverage.

Ingilab Saleh oglu Karimov was born on April 4, 1931, in the city of Goychay. He received his secondary education there and graduated in 1953 from the Theater Studies Faculty of the Azerbaijan State Theater Institute (now the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts). Beginning in 1957, he worked at the Institute of Architecture and Art of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences. From 1985 until the end of his life, Ingilab Karimov headed the Department of Theater, Cinema, and Television at the institute.

In 1963, Karimov defended his candidate dissertation titled “The Youth Theater of Soviet Azerbaijan,” and in 1988, he defended his doctoral dissertation in Moscow, “Problems of the Emergence, Formation, and Development of Azerbaijani Theater (Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries),” earning a Doctor of Art Studies degree.

In the same year, he was awarded the academic title of professor, and in 2001, he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

One of the founders of national theater studies, Ingilab Karimov authored hundreds of academic articles and nearly 200 scholarly works, including 25 monographs and books such as “History and Stages of Development of Azerbaijani Professional Theater,” “History of Azerbaijani Theater” (Volumes I and II), “Heydar Aliyev: On Art, Artists, and Mastery,” “Abdulla Shaig and Theater – 80,” “Aghadadash Gurbanov,” “A. Hagverdiyev and Theater,” and “Nariman Narimanov and Theater,” among others.

Under Professor Ingilab Karimov’s supervision, 15 scholars earned their PhD degrees. He also made a significant contribution to the training of highly qualified cultural professionals.

The distinguished scholar was also engaged in literary creativity. He authored a collection of short stories titled “How Could It Not Bleed,” staged the tragedy “The Tragedy of Betrayal” at the Baku Municipal Theater, and translated 18 plays that were later performed on various theater stages.

Professor Ingilab Karimov’s works and research have made a substantial contribution to the development of Azerbaijani theater and culture.