Category: Azer News

Two people have been killed and seven others injured as a result of renewed Russian attacks on southern Ukraine, AzerNEWS reports, citing Ukrainian media outlets.

According to Ukraine’s Kherson regional military administration head, Oleksandr Prokudin, one person was killed and four were injured in strikes on the Kherson region. He added that the attacks targeted residential areas, and details of the damage are still being assessed.

The Zaporizhzhia region has also come under heavy assault. The head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov, reported that Russian forces carried out 655 strikes on 41 settlements in the region over the past 24 hours.

‘Due to enemy attacks on the Polohy and Zaporizhzhia districts, one person was killed and three others injured,’ Fedorov wrote on his Telegram channel.

A passenger plane slid off the runway at Kazan Airport in Russia. The aircraft, scheduled to fly the Kazan-Moscow route, was carrying 158 people on board, AzerNEWS reports.

All passengers and crew members were safely evacuated following the incident. After several hours, the passengers were sent to the Russian capital on a replacement flight.

Local prosecutors have launched an investigation into the event. The airline reported that the incident occurred due to slippery asphalt on the runway.

Currently, the Republic of Tatarstan is experiencing adverse weather conditions caused by heavy rainfall, contributing to the unsafe conditions.

‘These are the leaders of the illegal separatist regime, which illegally functioned on our territory, on the territory of the sovereign Azerbaijani state, recognized as such by the entire international community, including Armenia,’ President Ilham Aliyev said in response to a question from France 24 TV channel correspondent in Munich regarding the military court’s decision to hand down severe prison sentences to 13 individuals from the Garabagh region, including a life sentence for the former leader.

‘For many years, these people were masterminds of all the war crimes against Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan, and they were brought to justice. They were detained in Garabagh as a result of our military operation and brought to justice. They were provided with lawyers. The trial was absolutely transparent. Their crimes were proven by the testimonies of witnesses, numerous testimonies, and there is no question about suspicion of wrongdoing,’ the head of state added.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, in Munich on February 14, AzerNEWS reports.

They fondly recalled Kaja Kallas’s visit to Azerbaijan last year and her meeting with the head of state.

The meeting underlined the European Union’s interest in further developing relations with Azerbaijan.

They highlighted the successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in the energy sector, and in this regard, touched upon the significant contributions Azerbaijan has made to ensuring Europe’s energy security.

They emphasized that, in addition to the energy sector, there are broad opportunities for cooperation in the field of transport between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for Azerbaijan-European Union cooperation, ensuring lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich on February 14.

During the conversation, the parties discussed the expansion of cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including the energy sector.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian support provided by Azerbaijan to Ukraine, particularly for the attention and care shown toward Ukrainian children.

The presidents of Azerbaijan and Ukraine exchanged views on the prospects for bilateral relations between the two nations.

Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan has met with representatives of Azerbaijani civil society visiting the country under the framework of the ‘Peace Bridge’ initiative, AzerNEWS reports, citing Armenian media outlets.

Armenia’s Security Council stated that Grigoryan welcomed the visit of the Azerbaijani civil society delegation and emphasized the importance of dialogue in this format. Bilateral contacts, he noted, play a significant role in strengthening mutual trust and fostering good-neighborly relations between the two countries.

The sides discussed the ongoing peace process, the economic opportunities that could arise from the unblocking of regional transport routes, as well as the current dynamics of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

The meeting marks another step in broader efforts to sustain dialogue at various levels, as both countries continue negotiations aimed at stabilizing relations and opening new avenues for regional cooperation.

On February 14, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova in Munich, AzerNEWS reports.

President Iliana Iotova noted that she had participated in the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue held in Azerbaijan and had become closely acquainted with the country’s culture, emphasizing that the traditions of Novruz and the art of mugham had left a deep impression on her.

Iliana Iotova also recalled the support provided by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the restoration of the ‘Trapezitsa’ Architectural Museum-Reserve in Bulgaria and expressed her gratitude for this assistance.

She thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the teaching of the Bulgarian language at higher education institutions in Azerbaijan and for the attention shown to Bulgarian culture.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the signing, a few days earlier, of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, and the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo on the establishment and reconstruction of the ‘Shusha’ Park in the city of Veliko Tarnovo.

The parties discussed cooperation in the fields of energy, electricity exports, agriculture, tourism, and other areas, as well as collaboration within international organizations.

Bulgaria’s support for the development of Azerbaijan-European Union relations was highly appreciated.

It was also noted that Azerbaijan will host the World Urban Forum in May this year, and that Bulgaria will be represented at a high level at the event.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Armin Laschet, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, in Munich on February 14, AzerNEWS reports.

During the conversation, the head of state expressed satisfaction recalling his previous meetings with Armin Laschet.

Armin Laschet conveyed his congratulations to the head of state on the progress made in Washington regarding the advancement of the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the congratulations and stated that achieving peace holds significant importance for the overall development of the region.

The meeting discussed Azerbaijan’s regional peace and cooperation initiatives.

They emphasized that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Germany are developing in various domains, including political, economic-trade, energy, and other fields.

They touched upon the important role Azerbaijan plays in Europe’s energy security, and exchanged views on the expansion of inter-parliamentary cooperation and the prospects for bilateral relations.

The meeting highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in interfaith and intercultural dialogue and the importance of sharing this experience within an international framework.

A bilateral roundtable bringing together representatives of Azerbaijani and Armenian civil societies is continuing in Armenia as part of the ‘Bridge of Peace’ initiative.

AzerNEWS reports that the two-day roundtable in Yerevan involves public activists and civil society representatives from both Azerbaijan and Armenia. The discussions are being held within the framework of efforts aimed at fostering dialogue between the two societies.

The meeting follows earlier exchanges between civil society groups from the two countries. On October 22 last year, a bilateral roundtable with the participation of Armenian and Azerbaijani civil society representatives was held in Yerevan. Subsequently, on November 21, 2025, a delegation of Armenian civil society representatives visited the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.

The ongoing discussions in Yerevan mark another step in continued engagement between non-governmental actors from the two neighboring countries amid broader regional dialogue efforts.

US President Donald Trump on Friday signaled support for the idea of regime change in Iran, AzerNEWS reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

‘Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump told reporters after a visit to Fort Bragg in the state of North Carolina.

“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time. So let’s see what happens,” he added.

Trump also reiterated that “tremendous power” has arrived to the region. The US has steadily built up military forces in the region since Trump has threatened strikes against Iran following the eruption of countrywide protests in late December.

“Additional power, as you know, and other carriers going out shortly, so we’ll see it now, if we could get it settled for once,” he said.

When asked who he wants to “take over” Iran, Trump replied, “I don’t want to talk about that. There are people.”

Trump has said the US is prepared to deploy a ‘very big force’ if ongoing negotiations with Iran fail.

“Well, in case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it … If we have a deal, we could cut it short. It’ll be leaving. It’ll be leaving very soon. We have one out there that just arrived … We have it ready. A big, a very big force,” Trump told reporters when asked why he decided to send a second aircraft carrier to the region.

His remarks came after local media reported that the US will send the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East to back up the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.

In North Carolina, Trump was asked what Iran could do to avoid a US attack.

“If they give us the right deal, we won’t do that – but, you know, historically, they haven’t done that. I will say they want to talk. But so far, they do a lot of talking and no action,” Trump replied.

The president reiterated that the US does not want any nuclear enrichment by Iran.

The US and Iran held indirect talks in the capital Muscat on Feb. 6 with Omani mediation to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program.

The sit-down marked the end of a roughly eight-month suspension after the US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during an escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict in June 2025.

Amid the negotiations, the US has significantly increased its military footprint in the region as Trump warns Iran that it must make a deal.

Uranium enrichment remains a central point of dispute. The US demands Iran halt uranium enrichment and transfer highly enriched uranium out of the country.

Washington has also sought to include Iran’s missile program and its support for armed groups in the region in the negotiations, but Tehran has repeatedly said it would not negotiate issues beyond its nuclear program.