Category: Azer News

As tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated again, the number of tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level.

According to Belgium-based company Kpler, only two tankers passed through the strait on Monday, marking the lowest daily number of crossings since the conflict began.

The tensions between the United States and Iran, which have continued since February 28, are putting increasing pressure on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. With Iran refusing to allow vessels to pass through the strait, tanker traffic along one of the world’s most important energy routes has slowed significantly.

Several LNG carriers and crude oil tankers entered the Strait of Hormuz from the Gulf of Oman today.

Data from UK-based ship-tracking company Vortexa showed that daily oil transit through the Strait of Hormuz fell to 5 million barrels on the previous day. During the seven days through Sunday, the average was approximately 6-7 million barrels per day.

Before the conflict in the Middle East, roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and petroleum product supplies, as well as around one-fifth of global LNG supplies, passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku was illuminated in the colors of the Ukrainian national flag.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Yurii Husyev, shared information about the initiative on his social media account.

‘Baku is special tonight! Thank you, Azerbaijan!’ the ambassador wrote.

Ukraine celebrates its main national holiday, Independence Day, on August 24. The holiday commemorates the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on August 24, 1991.

The declaration was subsequently endorsed in a nationwide referendum held on December 1, 1991. The vote formally confirmed Ukraine’s independence and the restoration of its sovereignty as an independent state following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

A favorable investment environment has been established in Azerbaijan, supported by political and economic stability, successful reforms, a strong legislative framework and other factors that contribute to the country’s growing investment appeal. Industrial zones operating across the country have created favorable and sustainable conditions for the development of highly competitive industrial production.

As part of these efforts, residents of industrial zones are able to operate in areas fully equipped by the state with essential engineering and communications infrastructure, including electricity, natural gas, water, roads, telecommunications and other services.

Residents of industrial parks also benefit from extensive tax and customs incentives. Companies are exempt from profit, property and land taxes for 10 years from the date of registration. In addition, machinery, technological equipment and installations imported for production purposes are exempt from value-added tax and customs duties for 10 years.

These and other incentives are helping maintain a steady flow of investment into Azerbaijan. According to the State Statistical Committee, investment in the country’s non-oil and gas sector increased by 1.9% in real terms in January-July compared with the same period last year, reaching 7.4033 billion manats (4.355 billion dollars).

Alongside attracting greater investment, Azerbaijan is placing particular emphasis on improving the selection and prioritization of investment projects and speeding up their implementation. This need has led to the creation of a new institutional mechanism within the country’s investment policy.

Under an order issued by the Cabinet of Ministers on June 1, 2026, a Commission was established to ensure the accelerated implementation of strategic investment projects of particular importance to the national economy. The commission is also tasked with introducing a unified approach to project planning and implementation and strengthening coordination between government institutions.

The initial list of strategic investment projects will be determined by the Ministry of Economy. A list of potential investment projects will then be submitted to the Commission for consideration.

The Commission will select and evaluate strategic investment projects under a “fast-track” mechanism, based on objective analytical criteria. The mechanism is expected to reduce the implementation period for major investment projects by approximately 30-40%.

The main purpose of the new mechanism is to ensure that strategically important investment projects are implemented through a more coordinated and unified approach. Large-scale investment projects typically involve a wide range of issues, requiring prompt and coordinated decisions related to land, infrastructure, energy supply, construction, environmental protection, customs, taxation, transportation and other areas.

For this reason, the inclusion of government institutions responsible for the economy, finance, energy, ecology, justice, labor, emergency situations, agriculture, digital development and transport, customs, urban planning and other fields in the Commission is particularly important.

Overall, the fast-track mechanism for strategic investment projects is expected to increase the efficiency and speed of project implementation. Combined with existing tax, customs and infrastructure incentives, the new approach is aimed at further strengthening Azerbaijan’s investment environment and supporting the development of large-scale projects in the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Lake Ontario could be renamed “Lake America.”

Such a change would be reminiscent of the Republican president’s unilateral action last year by executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer,” he wrote on Truth Social. Lake Ontario, one of North America’s Great Lakes, lies on the border between the United States and Canada.

Earlier, the U.S. president called members of the Canadian leadership “clowns” and threatened a serious deterioration in relations between Washington and Ottawa.

The United States and Canada are embroiled in a trade dispute, with Ottawa expected to announce retaliatory measures on Tuesday after the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend following the collapse of negotiations between the two countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed that he had decided to suspend trade negotiations with the United States. He said Ottawa would impose retaliatory tariffs, which are expected to take effect on September 8. Carney also stressed that a “trade war” has begun between the United States and Canada.

President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, congratulated Azerbaijan’s First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva on the occasion of her birthday.

According to AzerNEWS, the letter reads:

Dear Mehriban Arifovna,

Please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your birthday.

I sincerely wish you good health, happiness, prosperity, and success in your responsible state activities. I kindly ask you to convey my warm regards to Ilham Heydarovich and all members of your family.

Respectfully,

Vladimir Putin

President of the Russian Federation

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has commented on Armenia’s plans to seek membership in the European Union.

“Regarding the application for EU membership, I always recommend remembering the experience of Trkiye and a number of other countries. Decades have passed since they submitted their applications, yet the situation remains largely unchanged,” Peskov said.

The Kremlin representative added that this was precisely why the latest Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit adopted a statement calling on Armenia to hold the relevant referendum as soon as possible.

His remarks came after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan plans to begin the process of applying for EU membership in the near future.

Pashinyan has previously said that Armenia does not intend to hold a referendum on EU membership before submitting the application, describing such a vote at this stage as “illogical.” He has argued that the issue of a referendum should be considered after the formal application process begins.

In March last year, Armenia’s parliament voted in favor of pursuing closer ties with the EU and initiating a process aimed at moving the country toward European integration.

India is increasingly alarmed by the prospect of Bangladesh joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye, amid concerns in New Delhi that the move could fundamentally alter the strategic balance in South Asia.

Bangladesh has signalled that it is open to joining the defence framework, which was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye on August 7. The agreement commits the three countries to treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all.

For India, the possibility of Bangladesh becoming part of the pact carries implications far beyond Dhaka’s expanding diplomatic relationship with Islamabad.

Indian strategic circles reportedly see Pakistan’s growing ties with Bangladesh as a key driver behind Dhaka’s interest in the alliance. From New Delhi’s perspective, Bangladesh’s accession could give Pakistan a stronger strategic position on India’s eastern flank while maintaining its longstanding military pressure on India’s western border.

That prospect is particularly sensitive because Bangladesh shares a long land border with India. If Dhaka were to become a full member of a collective-defence arrangement involving Pakistan, Indian policymakers could face the possibility of a future conflict involving Pakistan developing on two fronts.

Indian concerns also centre on the potential military implications of the pact’s collective-defence provisions. Some analysts fear that, depending on how the agreement is ultimately interpreted and implemented, Pakistan could seek access to Bangladeshi territory or logistical facilities during a future confrontation with India.

However, the agreement does not publicly specify such an automatic right. Its geographic scope, activation procedures and military command arrangements remain unclear.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, has framed its interest in the pact primarily around national interests and the diversification of its strategic partnerships. Dhaka’s position reflects a broader foreign-policy recalibration as it seeks stronger relations with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye while managing its traditionally important relationship with India.

The development presents a difficult diplomatic challenge for New Delhi. India has historically regarded Bangladesh as a crucial component of its security architecture in South Asia, particularly because of the country’s geographical position between India’s mainland and its strategically sensitive north-eastern states.

A deeper Pakistani security role in Bangladesh would therefore represent a significant shift.

For now, however, Bangladesh has not formally joined the pact. Its decision could become one of the most consequential tests of India’s regional diplomacy, particularly as Pakistan seeks to translate its new defence relationships with Saudi Arabia and Trkiye into a broader strategic network.

The question for New Delhi is no longer simply whether Bangladesh is moving closer to Pakistan. It is whether that relationship could eventually become institutionalised within a collective-defence framework – and what that would mean for India’s security calculations on both sides of the subcontinent.

Mirvarid Dilbazi was one of the most beloved and enduring voices of Azerbaijani poetry, a poet whose work combined tenderness with strength and personal emotion with a deep sense of homeland.

Her verses spoke of love, nature, motherhood, women’s lives and the beauty of her native land, while also giving voice to the grief, hopes and struggles of the Azerbaijani people. With a literary career spanning more than seven decades, she became one of the most respected women in the country’s literary history.

This year marks the 114th anniversary of Dilbazi’s birth. Born on August 19, 1912, in Gazakh, she grew up in the historic Dilbazi family at a time when Azerbaijan was passing through some of the most difficult periods of its modern history. The collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the Soviet occupation, repression, deportations and other upheavals left deep marks on her generation and later found their way into her poetry.

Dilbazi began writing at an early age. Her first poem, “Qadinlarin hrriyy?ti” (Women’s Freedom), was published in 1927. Her first collection, “Bizim s?simiz” (Our Voice), followed in 1934 and marked the beginning of a long and productive literary journey.

Over the years, she published numerous poetry collections, including “Ilk bahar,” “M?h?bb?t biziml? qosa dogulur,” “H?yat lövh?l?ri,” “Xatir?l?r al?mind?,” “B?növs?l?r sy?nd?,” “Ana qanadi,” “Yas?m?n f?sli,” “Dag çiç?yi,” “Qar çiç?kl?ri” and “Durnalar öts?nd?.” She also devoted a considerable part of her work to children, writing books such as “Nagillar,” “Kiçik dostlarima,” “Glbahar,” “Yaz g?lir,” “Lal?nin agaclari” and “Abseron baglarinda.”

Her literary legacy was broad. Alongside lyrical and socially themed poems, she wrote such works as “M?hs?ti,” “?lc?zairli qiz,” “Partizan Aliy?” and “Avey dagla söhb?t.” She also wrote plays and was an accomplished translator, bringing works by Khagani Shirvani, Nizami Ganjavi, Alisher Navoi, Alexander Pushkin, Taras Shevchenko, Nikolai Tikhonov and Samuil Marshak into Azerbaijani.

Dilbazi’s words also became part of the country’s musical heritage. Composer Aghabaji Rzayeva composed songs based on a number of her poems, including “Çoban Qara,” “Evimiz? g?lin g?lir,” “Anam yadima dsd,” “Laylay” and “Az?rbaycan ell?ri.” Through these songs, her poetry reached generations of listeners and became familiar far beyond the literary world.

The poet’s later work carried the pain of another difficult period in Azerbaijan’s history. The January 1990 tragedy and the Karabakh conflict deeply affected her. She wrote with particular feeling about those who had been forced from their homes and about the losses suffered by the country. Poems such as “Agla, kamanim, agla,” “Qoymayin aglayim m?ni,” “Öpn bu qanli torpagi” and “S?hidl?r q?biristaninda” became powerful expressions of grief and remembrance.

Dilbazi’s contribution to Azerbaijani literature received official recognition in 1979, when she became the first woman in Azerbaijan to be awarded the honorary title of People’s Poet. She also received several state honours, including the Order of the Badge of Honour, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order of Independence.

Her 100th anniversary was commemorated at the state level in 2012 following a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev.

Mirvarid Dilbazi passed away on July 12, 2001, but her voice never disappeared from Azerbaijani literature. She left behind poems filled with warmth, sorrow, courage and love for her country.

Her strength as a poet came from her ability to turn the experiences of an entire generation into intimate, memorable lines.

More than a century after her birth, Dilbazi remains a cherished figure in Azerbaijani culture and a powerful example of how poetry can preserve both personal memories and the history of a nation.

For years, Azerbaijan’s relationship with Central Asia was viewed largely through the lens of shared Turkic identity, Caspian connectivity and energy diplomacy. However, that description is becoming outdated.

Azerbaijan is increasingly emerging as an active participant in the political and economic architecture of Central Asia, and among the countries in this geography, Uzbekistan stands at the centre of that transformation.

The clearest evidence came in November 2025, when Azerbaijan was granted full participation in the Central Asian Heads of State Consultative Meeting. A format historically built around the five Central Asian republics was effectively expanded into a C6 framework, which was in fact a recognition that Azerbaijan has acquired strategic weight in a region whose importance is growing rapidly.

Therefore, President Ilham Aliyev’s current state visit to Uzbekistan should be understood against that larger backdrop.

Uzbekistan’s rapidly expanding economic and strategic potential means that its role extends well beyond that of one of Azerbaijan’s closest partners. Tashkent has, of course, emerged as a key gateway for Baku, providing high-level access as Azerbaijan deepens its engagement with Central Asia and expands its regional ties.

Central Asian states are seeking diversified trade routes, investment, access to international markets and stronger links with neighbouring regions, while Azerbaijan wants to strengthen its position as a transport, logistics, energy and trade hub connecting Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Trkiye and Europe. And for this reason, this convergence has transformed the political relationship between Baku and Tashkent into something much more strategic.

Certainly, President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have built a relationship based on frequent high-level contact and political trust. Their governments have constructed an expanding legal and institutional framework, culminating in the establishment of the Supreme Interstate Council in 2023.

And now, President Aliyev’s current visit provides another opportunity to coordinate priorities at the highest level, further aligning the bilateral alliance with Azerbaijan’s broader regional strategy. The answer increasingly lies in connectivity.

Azerbaijan’s position on the Caspian gives Central Asian economies an alternative route towards Western markets. In turn, Uzbekistan, with its large population, industrial base and growing economy, provides Azerbaijan with an important partner on the eastern side of that corridor. So, the relationship is consequently becoming part of a larger Eurasian equation.

We can now say that these efforts are beginning to pay off handsomely in trade. For instance, bilateral trade reached $795 million in 2025, more than three times the 2024 level and transit between the two countries reached 1.4 million tonnes.

Those numbers are still relatively modest compared with the scale of the two economies, but that may be precisely the point. The political relationship has already advanced faster than the economic relationship, creating significant room for further growth. The next stage is likely to be about turning political capital into commercial scale.

The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company provides one mechanism. Manufacturing cooperation provides another. The presence of more than 130 Uzbek companies in Azerbaijan demonstrates that private-sector engagement is already following the political opening.

Cooperation between Uzbek and Azerbaijani energy institutions has existed for years, including through the Neftegaztexnologiya joint venture. But as regional energy markets become more interconnected, the scope for cooperation is expanding beyond traditional oil and gas activity.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s infrastructure around Baku and the Caspian, combined with Central Asian connectivity projects, creates the potential for a much larger trade ecosystem. Uzbekistan does not need to choose between Central Asian markets and European markets, as better connectivity allows it to reach both, and here it makes Azerbaijan strategically useful. This explains why Baku is investing so heavily in political relationships across the region.

The expansion from C5 to C6 also gives Azerbaijan a new diplomatic platform, where for Baku, participation in Central Asian regional consultations means having a direct seat at discussions concerning economic integration, transport, security and regional cooperation. However, for Central Asian states, Azerbaijan offers access to the South Caucasus and onward routes to Trkiye and Europe.

Thus, Azerbaijan is becoming the western extension of a Central Asian network, while Uzbekistan is becoming one of the principal eastern anchors of Azerbaijan’s regional strategy. That is why President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit carries significance beyond the bilateral agenda. Azerbaijan is no longer approaching Central Asia solely as an external partner. It is increasingly becoming part of the region’s political and economic conversation and Uzbekistan is where that transformation is most visible.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to prevent Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from traveling to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly next month, marking the second consecutive year Washington has moved to restrict his participation.

According to Israeli media, Abbas is scheduled to address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 24.

The reported decision follows Washington’s move last year to deny visas to Abbas and other Palestinian officials ahead of the annual UN gathering.

Abbas reportedly raised concerns over the latest move during a visit to Ankara last week, asking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene with Trump on his behalf.

Erdogan subsequently spoke with Trump by telephone on Tuesday. However, a US official told The Times of Israel the following day that Washington still intended to prevent Abbas from attending, suggesting that the Turkish intervention had not changed the administration’s position.

The United Nations said it had not received any official notification from Washington regarding a visa denial.

UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Arab News on Friday that the organization was aware of the reports but noted that visa applications for heads of delegations are handled by the US government rather than the UN.

‘We have seen cases in the past where visas were denied by the host country,’ Dujarric said.

He added that the UN continued to hope the United States would fulfil its obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement, which is intended to facilitate travel to New York for diplomats and government officials conducting UN business.

Dujarric noted that the issue was not unprecedented, pointing to previous disputes involving other delegations, including Russia, over access to the UN headquarters.

The US State Department did not confirm whether Abbas would be denied a visa, citing the confidentiality of individual visa cases. However, it said Washington takes its obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement ‘seriously.’

The department also pointed to US legislation allowing the secretary of state to impose restrictions or conditions on the travel of members of foreign missions.

Washington took similar action in August 2025, announcing that it would deny or revoke visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority ahead of the UN General Assembly, including Abbas.

That decision came shortly before a UN conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Trump administration opposed the initiative, arguing at the time that recognition of Palestinian statehood would reward Hamas and undermine efforts to end the war in Gaza.