Category: Azer News

President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta concluded his visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan on March 13.

At Heydar Aliyev International Airport, President José Ramos-Horta was seen off by Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elnur Mammadov, and other officials.

Climate financing plays a crucial role in implementing programs in this field and advancing broader reforms within the global climate agenda.

As reported by AzerNEWS, this was stated by Azerbaijan’s Presidential Representative for Climate Issues and COP29 President, Mukhtar Babayev, during the panel discussion titled ‘Beyond Negotiations: COP’s Fight for Resilience’ held within the framework of the XIII Global Baku Forum on the theme ‘Bridging Divides in a Fragmented World.’

According to Babayev, multilateral cooperation is currently under significant pressure, and the entire United Nations system is experiencing serious strain. In such conditions, close cooperation between countries is essential not only to adopt positive decisions but also to ensure their effective implementation.

He recalled that during COP29 in Baku, an agreement was reached to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund. In addition, countries agreed on a financial target to mobilize at least $300 billion annually for developing countries by 2035, along with a practical roadmap aimed at mobilizing $1.3 trillion in climate finance.

Babayev noted that the implementation of decisions related to the Loss and Damage Fund is currently being monitored.

‘In the initial years, the fund received relatively active financial contributions from donors. However, over the past year, the pace of contributions has gradually slowed,’ he said.

According to Babayev, the fund is designed primarily to support small island developing states and other highly vulnerable countries, helping them rebuild their economies and social systems after major climate-related disasters.

At the same time, he stressed that the agreement to mobilize at least $300 billion annually for developing countries, as well as the practical plan to generate $1.3 trillion in climate finance, is currently facing serious pressure.

‘Across the world, policymakers are increasingly reconsidering the priorities of financial commitments,’ Babayev said.

He noted that in 2024, when Baku hosted COP29, there was a unique environment in which donors agreed to allocate $100 million and continue progress toward the 2035 climate finance targets.

‘Unfortunately, we are now hearing reports of potential backtracking on these commitments. We are awaiting the report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the results of 2025 to see the real impact of these funds,’ he added.

Babayev also emphasized that global priorities are shifting as governments increasingly focus financial resources on security, defense, and military concerns.

‘Countries are thinking more about how to protect themselves from threats, wars, and conflicts,’ he said.

‘However, the world is changing and we all live within these changes. We must adapt, but at the same time we must continue investing and ensuring financing. Without financial support, all our actions and initiatives will unfortunately fail to deliver real solutions or meaningful results,’ Babayev concluded.

The United States has used up ‘years’ worth of ammunition since the start of the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of its military operations, AzerNEWS reports via the Financial Times.

Citing three people familiar with the matter, the publication reported that some of the fastest-depleting weapons include long-range Tomahawk cruise missile, widely used in precision strike operations.

According to one source, the missiles are being consumed at a rapid pace, and the United States Navy could feel the consequences of the current expenditures for years.

The heavy use of ammunition has intensified concerns in Washington about both the growing financial cost of the war and the ability of the US defense industry to replenish depleted stockpiles.

Pentagon officials told senators earlier this week that the first six days of strikes cost at least $11 billion, with a large portion of the spending going toward munitions.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States fired 168 Tomahawk missiles within the first 100 hours of the war. Over the past five years, the US military has procured 322 Tomahawk missiles, highlighting the scale of current consumption.

‘That’s a lot, it will take years to replace it,’ one congressman said.

In response to the rapidly rising costs, the Pentagon is expected in the coming days to submit a request for an additional $50 billion in military funding to the United States Congress and the White House.

The request is likely to spark heated debate in Congress. Some lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have already expressed concerns over further funding for the conflict. Several Democrats argue that the war initiated by President Donald Trump did not receive congressional authorization and therefore lacks legal approval.

The United States and Israel have been conducting airstrikes against targets in Iran since February 28. In response, Tehran has launched missile and drone attacks against Israeli territory and US military facilities across the region, further escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The Azerbaijani government can now acquire land for the construction of new airports and aerodromes, as well as for the expansion of existing facilities and seaport areas, AzerNEWS reports.

This is reflected under recent changes to the country’s ‘On the Acquisition of Land for State Needs’ law, approved by President Ilham Aliyev.

The amendments explicitly include the expansion of state-owned airports and aerodromes and the construction of new aviation facilities among the state’s needs for which land can be obtained. Changes to the Civil Code also grant the government the authority to acquire land for enlarging seaport areas, extending existing airports and aerodromes, or building new ones whenever required for state purposes.

Microsoft has introduced a new artificial intelligence-based medical tool called Copilot Health, designed to analyze users’ health data and provide personalized recommendations, AzerNEWS reports.

The new feature will be integrated into the Copilot application. With the user’s consent, it will be able to connect to medical records, test results, medication information, doctors’ notes, and data from wearable devices such as the Apple Watch and Fitbit. Using this information, the AI assistant will analyze health patterns and provide personalized advice regarding symptoms, lifestyle, and potential health risks. If users choose not to connect personal data, the service will still offer general health recommendations.

Microsoft states that all uploaded information will be encrypted and securely isolated from the rest of the application. Identity verification will be performed using the Clear identification service, after which medical data will be transferred to Copilot Health through the HealthEx provider operating under the federal TEFCA initiative. Users will also be able to manage, download, or delete their data at any time. In addition, medical records and conversations related to health will be stored separately from regular Copilot chats to ensure greater privacy.

According to Mustafa Suleyman, the head of Microsoft’s AI division, the company expects the new service to increase interest in Copilot and attract new users. In the future, Microsoft plans to introduce a paid subscription model for advanced health features. The rollout will begin gradually in the United States.

Microsoft emphasized that the tool could be especially helpful for people with chronic conditions who need regular monitoring and reminders. Copilot Health is expected to integrate with data from more than 50,000 hospitals and medical organizations across the United States, including laboratory networks and diagnostic centers.

Experts also suggest that AI assistants like Copilot Health could help people better understand their medical data, prepare questions before visiting a doctor, and track long-term health trends, potentially making healthcare more proactive and personalized.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance Ltd., is reportedly planning to use Nvidia Corporation’s advanced chips to expand its computing power for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development outside China, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

Sources familiar with the matter say ByteDance is seeking access to these semiconductors through a potential agreement with Aolani Cloud, a Singapore-based graphics processing unit (GPU) cloud service provider and an official Nvidia partner. Under the plan, ByteDance could deploy around 500 Nvidia Blackwell computing systems in Malaysia, which would include roughly 36,000 B200 chips.

If the deal between ByteDance and Aolani Cloud is finalized, the total cost of the hardware could exceed $2.5 billion, the sources added. Such a large-scale investment highlights the growing global competition in AI infrastructure, as tech companies race to secure powerful chips needed to train next-generation artificial intelligence models.

Industry analysts note that Nvidia’s Blackwell architecture is designed specifically for large AI workloads and could significantly accelerate the development of advanced AI systems used in recommendation algorithms, content moderation, and generative AI tools.

Young Azerbaijani researcher Gular Zeynalova has recently been elected as a member of several prestigious international scientific organizations, including the Biochemical Society, the American Chemical Society, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, AzerNEWS reports.

The Biochemical Society (BS), based in the United Kingdom, is a scientific community that covers all aspects of biochemistry, including cellular and molecular biosciences. The society was founded in 1911.

The American Chemical Society (ACS), operating in the United States, brings together researchers working in the field of chemistry. It was established in 1876.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), also based in the US, is a highly respected scientific organization uniting specialists in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and related biomedical fields. It was founded in 1906.

“Being a member of these societies is crucial for presenting scientific research in biochemistry and molecular biology on international platforms, as well as for fostering global scientific collaborations,” said Gular Zeynalova.

Recently, Zeynalova participated in ASBMB’s annual conference, presenting a lecture titled “Delayed Aging as a Biological Phenomenon: Contributions of Biochemical and Cellular Markers.” The event took place at the Gaylord National Harbor and Resort Convention Center in National Harbor, Washington, and her presentation was met with great interest by attendees.

“ASBMB is one of the leading organizations in the advancement of modern biochemistry and molecular biology, playing a key role in shaping the global scientific community. The conference brought together researchers and scientists from countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Taiwan, and the UK. Among the participants was Nobel laureate in Chemistry Erik Betzig. The sessions focused on innovative approaches to treating various diseases, the development of cutting-edge technologies, and fostering scientific networking and professional collaboration. Representing Azerbaijan on the international scientific stage is a tremendous honor for me,” Zeynalova noted.

Gular Zeynalova is a doctoral candidate at the Abdulla Garayev Institute of Physiology and a faculty member at Baku Base Medical College No. 2. She graduated from the Faculty of Biology at Baku State University, specializing in Biochemistry, and earned her master’s degree in Biochemistry from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine.

She continued her postgraduate studies at the Abdulla Garayev Institute of Physiology under the Azerbaijan Ministry of Science and Education and completed professional development courses at the Biochemistry Department of Azerbaijan Medical University.

Zeynalova has actively participated in national and international scientific conferences and is the author of numerous research articles and the book “Modern Medical Laboratory Diagnostics.”

Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister signals that strong foundations are no longer sufficient.

Saying the quiet part loud, the setting was a policy forum, with the audience composed of tax administrators and economic technocrats. But the message Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov delivered in Baku last week, at a forum titled ‘A Look into the Future of the Tax System: A New Governance Model and Data-Driven Decisions’, carried a frankness unusual for ministerial addresses in the region. Azerbaijan’s economy, he said plainly, is not growing as fast as it should, and that is not acceptable.

In short, Azerbaijan is rich on paper. Its economy tells a different story.

It came at the end of a year in which real GDP growth slowed sharply to 1.4 percent, down from 4.1 percent in 2024, a deceleration that international institutions had anticipated but that nonetheless landed with some force. For a country that holds combined central bank and sovereign fund reserves of approximately $85 billion, maintains low public debt, and sits astride some of the most strategically significant energy and transit corridors in Eurasia, growth of 1.4 percent is, as Jabbarov put it, not a reflection of what the country is capable of.

The remark has since prompted debate among economists and policymakers about what is holding Azerbaijan back and what a realistic path to faster, more durable growth would look like.

Not fast enough

Azerbaijan’s macroeconomic foundations are, by most conventional measures, genuinely solid. The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), the sovereign wealth vehicle through which hydrocarbon revenues are managed and invested, has seen combined reserves with the Central Bank grow from $70 billion at the end of 2024 to $85 billion by the end of 2025. Public debt remains low by regional and global standards. The fiscal framework is conservative, and the country has maintained a fiscal surplus despite slowing growth.

The problem is not the stock of resources. It is the flow. After expanding by 4.1 percent in 2024, driven by a 6.2 percent surge in non-hydrocarbon GDP, with construction, communications, transportation and hospitality all contributing, the economy shifted gears sharply in 2025. Hydrocarbon output fell, the boost from elevated public investment in reconstruction faded, and softer global energy prices produced knock-on effects across the broader economy. The result was a growth of 1.4 percent for the year.

“The current pace of economic growth does not fully reflect the country’s real economic potential and does not satisfy us,” said Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov while speaking at the forum on March 5.

Looking ahead, the forecasts from international institutions are not alarming, frankly. The IMF projects GDP growth of 2.1 percent in 2026, stabilising at around 2.5 percent over the medium term. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank offer similar trajectories, the EBRD forecasting 2 percent for 2026, the World Bank 2.4 percent. SandP Global is more cautious, projecting 2 percent annually across 2025-2026. None of these figures are cause for crisis, but none of them suggests an economy operating anywhere near what Jabbarov described as its real potential.

The core tension in Azerbaijan’s economic story is not new. Hydrocarbon revenues remain the dominant source of budget income and foreign exchange. The country holds substantial reserves, approximately 7 billion barrels of oil and 1.7 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, but production at the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block and other major offshore deposits has been in gradual decline for several years. That decline is structural, not cyclical, and no amount of policy reform at the ministerial level will reverse the underlying geology.

The consequence is a widening gap between the performance of the oil and gas sector, which contracted by 1.8 percent in the first eleven months of 2025, and the non-oil economy, which grew by 3.2 percent over the same period. The non-oil sector’s share of GDP has risen from 58.3 percent in 2018 to 71.5 percent in 2025, a meaningful structural shift. Between 2021 and 2025, non-oil GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.9 percent in real terms. But the non-oil sector has not yet grown fast enough or large enough to compensate for the drag from declining hydrocarbon production, particularly in years when energy prices are softer. Perhaps the current strategy is focused on this – at least, ever since the past year and a half period.

The IMF’s February 2026 Article IV mission put the diagnosis succinctly: ‘declining hydrocarbon reserves’ and ‘weaker domestic demand’ are the defining constraints on Azerbaijan’s medium-term growth outlook. Addressing the first requires diversification at a pace and scale that has not yet been achieved. Addressing the second requires structural reforms that go beyond tax administration.

What was Jabbarov’s forum actually about?

It would be a misreading to interpret the minister’s remarks purely as an expression of dissatisfaction. The forum itself was substantive, and Jabbarov used it to announce a series of policy directions that sketch the outlines of the government’s response.

On the tax side, revenues reached 16.4 billion manat ($9.65 billion) in 2025, the highest level in Azerbaijan’s recent fiscal history. Tax revenues accounted for 12.7 percent of GDP, up 3.4 percentage points from 2018. In the non-oil and gas sector specifically, tax revenues reached 13 percent of non-oil GDP, with the private non-oil sector now accounting for 76 percent of total tax receipts from the non-oil economy. Employment formalisation has advanced too: the share of labour contracts in the non-oil private sector rose from 38.5 percent in 2019 to 54.4 percent in 2025, with the number of formal contracts exceeding one million for the first time.

These are structural improvements rather than headline growth numbers, and they matter for the longer trajectory. A broader tax base, greater formalisation, and improved fiscal administration all reduce the economy’s vulnerability to hydrocarbon price swings. But the minister was also explicit about the next phase of reform. A new policy package covering 2027-2030 is being prepared under the ‘Azerbaijan 2030’ development vision, focused on building an export-oriented non-oil economy, improving access to credit for businesses, and making more active use of the Alat Free Economic Zone and the country’s transit infrastructure.

One of the more genuine threads running through the forum debate concerns the business environment, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. SMEs are the conventional engine of economic diversification, but access to finance remains constrained, competition in some domestic markets is limited, and certain sectors remain insufficiently liberalised to attract the private investment needed to drive faster growth.

Foreign direct investment has been moving in the right direction: investments in fixed capital from foreign sources grew by 24 percent in 2025, while investment in the non-oil private sector rose by 11.1 percent. In the non-oil industry alone, investment growth reached 26 percent. Jabbarov pointed to the country’s strategic geographic position, its transport and logistics infrastructure, and the mechanisms of the Alat Free Economic Zone as key instruments for sustaining and accelerating this trend. The planned introduction of more flexible tax arrangements for ICT companies, startups, and highly qualified specialists signals an effort to move up the value chain, away from resource extraction and toward knowledge-intensive activity.

Regional imbalances remain a less-discussed but significant constraint. Economic activity is heavily concentrated in Baku and its surroundings, while the country’s regions, with their potential in agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, remain underleveraged. The peace agreement with Armenia and the planned extension of the Middle Corridor through Armenian territory may eventually open new economic geographies within Azerbaijan itself, but that story is still in its early chapters.

The broader picture that emerges from Jabbarov’s remarks, and from the data surrounding them, is of a country that has built genuinely impressive macroeconomic foundations, reserves, low debt, a growing non-oil tax base, and improving formalisation, but has not yet translated those foundations into the kind of sustained, diversified growth that would reduce its structural dependence on hydrocarbons.

The IMF’s February 2026 mission captured the challenge well: Azerbaijan is ‘appropriately focused on diversification,’ but realising that focus requires deepening capital markets, increasing labour productivity, reducing the state’s footprint in the economy, and tackling the informality that still persists in parts of the labour market. These are medium-term tasks, not ministerial announcements.

What Jabbarov said last week was, in essence, that the government knows the gap between potential and performance exists, and that closing it is now the central objective of economic policy. The admission itself is the easy part. Baku has the reserves, the location, the infrastructure, and now, apparently, the political will to acknowledge that none of it is working quite hard enough. What it has not yet demonstrated is the capacity to turn that acknowledgement into the kind of structural change that diversification actually demands. That is the test the 2027-2030 package will face. And it is a test that no forum, however well-themed, can pass on the government’s behalf. As in most resource-dependent economies, navigating the transition away from hydrocarbons, the harder work has always been execution.

On March 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov held a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Trkiye Hakan Fidan.

During the telephone conversation, the ministers discussed the current security situation in the region and the increasing tensions.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov condemned another missile attack carried out against the territory of Trkiye today, expressing his support for the brotherly Trkiye.

The sides noted that further escalation of military tensions could lead to undesirable consequences.

During the telephone conversation, the foreign ministers also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

A total of 64 stateless persons were granted Azerbaijani citizenship in 2025 under the relevant decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, according to the annual report of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

The report notes that 21 of those individuals were officially recognized as stateless, while 43 were classified as persons of unknown citizenship.

According to the document, 67 individuals lived in Azerbaijan with refugee status in 2025.

As of December 31, 2025, the number of foreigners legally present or residing in Azerbaijan stood at 184,419, slightly lower than 184,835 recorded in 2024.

The report also highlighted trends in migration and residency permits. In 2025, the number of foreigners granted or extended temporary residence permits reached 80,036, representing an increase of 8,531 compared to 2024.

During the same year:

342,393 foreigners were registered at their place of residence, compared with 357,204 in 2024.

1,594 foreigners had their temporary stay extended, down from 2,471 in the previous year.

3,436 individuals were granted or had their permanent residence permits extended, up from 3,016 in 2024.

9,945 foreigners received or extended work permits, compared with 10,868 a year earlier.