Category: Azer News

bp has supported the publication of a new art and research book dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Mirza Gadim Iravani, one of the most prominent figures in Azerbaijan’s art history and the founder of the Azerbaijani school of realistic painting.

The book, titled Mirza Gadim Iravani: In the Light of Vivid Colours, was publicly presented on Thursday at an event hosted by bp. The publication aligns with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 14 February 2025, which mandates celebrations marking the artist’s 200th jubilee.

Speaking at the event, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bp’s vice president for the Caspian region, said the company was proud to join the Azerbaijani public in honouring one of the country’s most influential artists.

‘Mirza Gadim Iravani masterfully blended the decorative aesthetics of classical medieval miniature art with the principles of realistic easel painting, creating a unique artistic language and a highly original personal style,’ Aslanbayli said.

He described Iravani’s artistic legacy as a pivotal moment in the evolution of Azerbaijani fine art, marking the transition from traditional decorative approaches to a professional realist school of painting.

‘Iravani’s invaluable legacy, rightly regarded as a turning point in the evolution of Azerbaijani art, has raised him to a prominent place in the national fine arts. We hope that the book presented today will be warmly received by Azerbaijani art lovers and will serve as a meaningful contribution to further research into and wider recognition of this great artist’s legacy,’ he added.

Beyond its artistic significance, Iravani’s work provides valuable insight into the history, culture, lifestyle, architectural traditions and artistic styles of his era.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of Iravani’s creative heritage as both an ornamental painter and a portraitist, while also shedding light on the artist’s life and artistic journey. It brings together a collection of scholarly articles examining Iravani’s works preserved in international museum collections, analyses of artworks adorning palace interiors, and studies exploring the evolution and interpretation of his artistic legacy.

In addition, the publication reviews historical sources referencing Iravani’s works and includes photographs with detailed descriptions of most of his known surviving pieces held in museums worldwide, including the Azerbaijan National Art Museum. Taken together, these materials form an important scientific and cultural resource.

The 224-page art and research publication is authored by Nargiz Jabbarli, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology and Associate Professor. The foreword is written by Galib Gasimov, Doctor of Philosophy in Art. The book also draws on research by several leading scholars of Azerbaijani art history, including the late Ziyadkhan Aliyev-Honoured Art Worker of Azerbaijan and Doctor of Philosophy in Art History-as well as Natalya Miklashevskaya, Kerim Kerimov, Rasim Efendi, Nazim Mustafa, Telman Ibrahimov, Khazar Zeynalov and others.

The publication forms part of a broader cultural heritage project supported by bp. Alongside the book on Mirza Gadim Iravani, the project includes three major research publications on Azerbaijani carpets authored by Dr Kubra Aliyeva, as well as a four-volume scholarly study on the history and development of Azerbaijan’s national cinematography by renowned film researcher Aydyn Kazymzade.

The remaining books included in the project are expected to be publicly presented later this year.

The initiative reflects bp’s continued commitment to supporting efforts aimed at preserving and promoting Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage. The total value of the project, which covers the development and publication of eight books, is 308,498 AZN (approximately $181,470). The project is being implemented by the Initiatives and Projects Centre (T?s?bbsl?r v? Layih?l?r M?rk?zi).

bp has been present in Azerbaijan for 33 years, safely, efficiently and reliably operating major oil and gas exploration, development and transportation projects. To date, together with its co-venturers, the company has invested more than $87 billion in projects it operates in the country.

In Azerbaijan, bp focuses its sustainability efforts on areas where it believes it can have the greatest impact. Its social investment activities and capacity-building programmes have delivered tangible benefits, supporting education, community development, local enterprise, environmental initiatives, sports development, and research into and promotion of Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage.

Since the start of its operations, bp and its co-venturers in joint ventures operated by the company have invested more than $111 million in social investment projects across Azerbaijan. The company directly employs around 2,389 Azerbaijani citizens, who account for over 90 per cent of its professional workforce in the country.

Azerbaijani sumo wrestler Huseyn Aghayev has taken part in the 16th Hakuho Cup in Tokyo, marking the first-ever participation of Azerbaijani athletes in one of the world’s most prestigious sumo competitions.

Azernews reports that the tournament was held on February 7-8. Competing in the 14-15 age category, Aghayev won his first three bouts, defeating Japanese and Brazilian opponents, and advanced to the 1/16 finals. His run ended at that stage after a loss to a Japanese wrestler considered among the tournament favorites.

The event also featured Azerbaijani representation on the officiating side. Ulvi Agamirov, vice-president of the Azerbaijan Japanese Martial Arts and Culture Association, is participating as a referee. He has been the only foreign referee at the Hakuho Cup for the third consecutive year.

Interest in sumo continues to grow in Azerbaijan. Reflecting this momentum, the World Sumo Championship will be hosted in Azerbaijan for the first time this October, following a decision by the International Sumo Federation.

Famine is spreading in Sudan’s western Darfur region, UN-backed experts warned on Thursday, as a grinding war between the army and paramilitary forces has left millions hungry, displaced and cut off from aid, Azernews reports, citing Tribune.

Since April 2023, the conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 11 million and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

In an alert issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), global food security experts said that “famine thresholds for acute malnutrition have now been surpassed” in North Darfur’s contested areas of Um Baru and Kernoi, near the border with Chad.

“These alarming rates suggest an increased risk of excess mortality and raise concern that nearby areas may be experiencing similar catastrophic conditions,” the IPC experts said.

They added that the spread of famine came as the paramilitary takeover of North Darfur capital El-Fasher led to “massive displacement” of civilians into surrounding areas, “straining the resources” of local communities and “driving up acute food insecurity and malnutrition”.

El-Fasher, long the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in western Darfur, fell to the RSF last October after 18 months of bombardment and starvation.

At a time when Azerbaijan’s judicial process concerning individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity has entered its decisive phase, especially, with evidence examined, witness testimonies heard, and facts publicly disclosed, France’s National Assembly has chosen confrontation over restraint. The adoption of yet another one-sided resolution is not a coincidence, nor is it an isolated incident. It is, unfortunately, part of a broader pattern that exposes Paris’s unwillingness to accept post-conflict realities in the South Caucasus.

The question therefore arises: why France?

Only months earlier, in October 2025, President Emmanuel Macron personally approached President Ilham Aliyev on the margins of the 7th European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen, requesting steps towards easing tensions and restoring bilateral relations. That appeal, presented as diplomatic goodwill, now rings hollow. The subsequent actions of the French political establishment suggest that Macron’s overture was less about reconciliation and more about tactical optics.

This contradiction illustrates a recurring feature of French foreign policy under Macron: rhetorical engagement paired with practical obstruction. While Paris speaks the language of peace, its policies consistently undermine the very processes that could stabilise the region.

France’s posture towards Azerbaijan has hardened noticeably since the end of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Instead of supporting post-war normalisation, Paris has aligned itself with revanchist narratives in Armenian politics, elevating emotion over international law. French lawmakers have repeatedly ignored UN Security Council resolutions affirming Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, choosing instead to politicise humanitarian concerns while remaining silent on decades of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and the destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage.

This bias is not merely symbolic. France has openly supported Armenia’s rearmament, supplied military equipment, and encouraged Yerevan to resist compromise at critical stages of the peace process. Such actions directly contradict France’s self-declared role as a mediator and seriously call into question its credibility within international diplomatic frameworks.

More troubling still is France’s apparent determination to disrupt broader geopolitical alignments. By pursuing an antagonistic line against Baku, Paris risks undermining US-led peace initiatives in the South Caucasus and obstructing the region’s growing engagement with the European Union and NATO. This is not diplomacy; it is strategic sabotage.

The background to this behaviour lies partly in France’s strained relationship with Washington. The public polemics between French and US leaders, followed by Macron’s repeated criticism by US President Donald Trump, were not trivial episodes. They reflected a deeper frustration within the Macron administration: France’s systematic exclusion from major US-driven geopolitical projects.

From energy corridors to regional security frameworks, Paris has found itself sidelined. Unable to shape outcomes through leadership, Macron has instead resorted to obstruction. The South Caucasus has become one of the arenas where this frustration is most visibly projected.

History supports this assessment. In the immediate aftermath of the war, France repeatedly attempted to stall diplomatic progress, advocating for formats that preserved old power balances rather than accepting new realities. It resisted initiatives aimed at opening transport links, delayed confidence-building measures, and amplified narratives that kept the conflict politically alive long after it had ended militarily.

Despite its ambitions to position itself as Europe’s strategic heavyweight, France has consistently failed to translate rhetoric into effective leadership. In the South Caucasus, this failure manifests as a preference for tension over transformation.

By adopting biased resolutions at a sensitive judicial moment, France sends a clear signal: it is not interested in justice, nor in regional stability. Instead, it seeks leverage, influence, and relevance, even at the cost of peace.

For Azerbaijan, the lesson is unmistakable. Sustainable peace in the South Caucasus will not be achieved through selective morality or parliamentary theatre in Paris. It will be built through respect for international law, recognition of sovereignty, and support for legal accountability; principles that France increasingly invokes in theory, but undermines in practice.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has issued a message to mark the anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Trkiye’s Kahramanmaras region, Azernews reports.

The ministry shared the statement on its official social media account.

‘In commemorating the anniversary of the severe earthquake that occurred in the Kahramanmaras region of brotherly Trkiye, we once again recall the profound pain and sorrow caused by this major disaster and solemnly honor the cherished memory of the victims of this tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives and caused widespread destruction,’ the statement said.

‘The state and people of Azerbaijan have always stood by Trkiye and share this pain as their own,’ it added.

The ministry also wished the Turkish state and people ‘lasting prosperity, well-being, and peace.’

The powerful earthquakes, which struck southeastern Trkiye on February 6, 2023, measured 7.7 and 7.8 in magnitude and left more than 53,000 people dead. Three years have now passed since the disaster.

On February 6, Italy hosts the opening ceremony of the 25th Winter Olympic Games, marking the official start of one of the world’s most anticipated sporting events, Azernews reports.

The opening ceremony will take place at Milan’s San Siro Stadium and will begin at 23:00 Baku time. With this spectacular event, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be formally declared open.

For the first time in Olympic history, two Olympic cauldrons will be lit simultaneously. One flame will burn in Milan, near the city’s Arch of Peace, while the second will be ignited in Cortina d’Ampezzo, at Piazza Dibona, symbolizing unity between the host cities.

The Winter Games 2026 officially got underway on February 4 with the start of the curling competitions.

Azerbaijan will be represented at the Winter Olympics 2026 by alpine skier Anastasiya Papatoma and figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev. To date, Azerbaijan has not won a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. The country first competed as an independent nation in 1998, at the Nagano Games in Japan.

Azerbaijan’s best result so far was achieved at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where ice dancers Yuliya Zlobina and Aleksey Sitnikov finished 12th in the ice dance event.

At the most recent Winter Olympics, held in Beijing in 2022, Azerbaijan was represented by two athletes. In figure skating, Vladimir Litvintsev placed 18th, while Yekaterina Ryabova finished 15th.

Azerbaijan earned its first-ever qualification for the Winter Paralympic Games 2026 in February 2022.

Cross-country skier Mehman Ramazanzade secured a quota place in the sprint category for the Beijing Paralympics, but unfortunately was unable to make his official debut after sustaining a serious injury during training shortly before the opening ceremony.

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will take place from February 6 to 26, while the Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled for March 6 to 15, with events hosted across Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

A document included in the U.S. Department of Justice’s latest release of Epstein-related files contains an extreme and unsubstantiated claim alleging that President Joe Biden was shot and killed in 2019 and subsequently replaced by a body double wearing a mask, Azernews reports.

The allegation appears within an unverified submission embedded in the broader document dump. The text describes Biden as ‘an actor with a mask’ and advances conspiracy narratives involving clones and an alleged execution by firing squad.

The Department of Justice has not suggested that the claim is credible or supported by evidence. Officials have stressed that the Epstein-related releases consist of large volumes of unfiltered material, including tips, messages, raw records, and third-party submissions gathered during investigations.

U.S. authorities have repeatedly emphasized that the publication of these documents should not be interpreted as confirmation or endorsement of every statement contained within them, noting that many entries reflect unverified or false claims submitted by external sources.

Gilavar Photo Club has launched “My Urban World” International Photography Competition as part of the Azerbaijan Urban Campaign (AUC2026), organized by the UN-Habitat and the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture, Azernews reports.

The photo contest, accredited by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) and the International Association of Art Photographers (IAAP), aims to showcase global urbanization processes through the lens of photography.

The theme of the competition focuses on various aspects of urban development, including human-centered cities, cultural heritage, historical buildings, the coexistence of the old and new, harmony between centuries and styles, green cities, ecological cities, “smart cities”, safe urban spaces, construction, renovation and restoration work, demolished or abandoned buildings, hazardous urban zones, the marks of time on the city, daytime and nighttime cityscapes, people and cities, and more.

The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2026. The photographs will be evaluated by a panel of five professional photographers from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Singapore, Greece, and North Macedonia.

The best entries will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as special ribbons and certificates.

An electronic catalogue featuring the winning photos will be published, and a photo exhibition is planned for May 17-22, during the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13).

The competition provides a unique opportunity for photographers to contribute to the global conversation on urbanization and its impact on cities worldwide.

Azerbaijan’s search for its representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is progressing according to plan, with strong interest from performers and songwriters, Azernews reports.

The scale of participation this year highlights both local creativity and international collaboration, as the country moves closer to choosing an act capable of shining on Europe’s biggest music stage.

A total of 100 applications were submitted during the selection period, featuring 186 songs in total. Of these entries, 107 songs were submitted by local authors and performers, while 79 songs came from international contributors. This means approximately 57.5 percent of the submissions were local, with the remaining 42.5 percent representing international participation.

During the initial evaluation stage, all applications were thoroughly reviewed by a professional panel. As a result of this assessment,18 candidates were invited to advance to the next round of the competition.

The shortlisted participants took part in live auditions and individual interviews, where their vocal abilities, stage presence, potential appeal to an international audience, and overall compatibility with the Eurovision format were assessed. Evaluations were carried out not only by the professional selection committee but also by a specially formed focus group, ensuring a well-rounded and objective review process.

Following these assessments, a final shortlist of three candidates has now been formed for the next stage of the competition. The selection process is ongoing, and the final decision will be announced after additional creative and strategic discussions.

The Azerbaijani delegation continues its work to determine the artist and song that will represent the country at the highest possible level on the Eurovision stage.

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026 after Austria’s victory at last year’s contest in Basel with JJ’s song “Wasted Love.”

Vienna is hosting Eurovision for the third time, having previously hosted in 1967 and 2015, and this year’s live shows will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle arena with the first semi-final on May 12, the second semi-final on May 14, and the grand final on May 16.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan reached the Top 5 in five consecutive contests – 3rd in 2009, 5th in 2010, 1st in 2011, 4th in 2012, and 2nd in 2013.

On 4 February 2025, ITV announced that Mamagama was internally chosen to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, with the song “Run with U”.

Mamagama performed in the first semifinal on 13 May 2025, where they failed to qualify for the grand final.

Azerbaijan has confirmed that it will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The country’s public broadcaster Ictimai Television (ITV) has officially stated participation in the event.

According to the official draw results, Azerbaijan’s representative will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14, 2026, at the festival venue in Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle. However, the name of the artist and the song has not yet been officially announced by ITV.

Azerbaijan’s delegation has been assigned its position in the parade of nations at the Winter Olympic Games 2026 opening ceremony in Italy, Azernews reports.

The national team will march 11th out of 92 countries during the ceremony.

The country’s flag will be carried by alpine skier Anastasiya Papatoma and figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev.

As is customary, the parade will follow a set order, with Greece leading the procession, and the host country, Italy, bringing up the rear. The event, set to take place at San Siro Stadium, will begin at 23:00 (Baku time), officially marking the opening of the Games.

Following the ceremony, Vladimir Litvintsev will begin his competition in the short program of figure skating on February 10 in Milan. Anastasiya Papatoma will compete in the giant slalom event on February 15, followed by the slalom race three days later. Both competitions will be held at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s renowned alpine skiing center.

The Winter Olympics will run from February 6 to 26, while the Paralympic Games will take place from March 6 to 15.

It is worth noting that the Olympic Games officially began on February 4, with the first competition in curling.