Category: Azer News

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev concluded his state visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan on August 24.

At Bukhara International Airport, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were seen off by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his spouse, Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva.

Vusal Gasimli, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), met with Kang Kim-gu, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Azerbaijan.

The sides discussed prospects for developing Azerbaijan-Korea economic relations, the growing strategic importance of the Middle Corridor in global supply chains, artificial intelligence and data-driven governance, regional data strategies, green transport corridors, and opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy.

Vusal Gasimli noted that the Middle Corridor is not merely a transit route connecting Asia and Europe, but also a multifaceted economic platform promoting trade, investment, production, energy cooperation, and regional integration. Azerbaijan’s strategic geographic location and modern transport and logistics infrastructure further strengthen its role as one of the corridor’s key hubs.

The meeting also highlighted that combining Korea’s advanced technological capabilities and expertise in smart logistics with Azerbaijan’s regional connectivity potential could create new opportunities for cooperation. The sides discussed prospects for digitalizing port and railway infrastructure, developing intelligent logistics systems, enabling real-time cargo tracking, and expanding paperless trade mechanisms.

It was emphasized that artificial intelligence, big-data analytics, and forecasting models can help optimize cargo flows, identify logistics risks in advance, and accelerate border-crossing procedures. The parties also exchanged views on cooperation in green logistics, reducing carbon emissions, using renewable energy sources, and transmitting green energy.

The meeting concluded with discussions on opportunities for joint research between analytical centers and research institutions of the two countries, expert exchanges, and the organization of joint events in relevant areas.

Azerbaijan’s national para-swimming team is continuing its preparations in Ganja ahead of the upcoming European Championships in Turkiye.

Raman Salei, Ali Valiyev and Murad Mammadov have been training at the Ganja Sports Palace since August 19 under coaches Faiq Asgarov and Fyodor Kirillov. The camp is scheduled to run until September 4, just days before the team heads to Kocaeli.

The 2026 World Para Swimming European Championships will take place from September 7 to 12 at the Gebze Olympic Swimming Pool in Kocaeli. The competition will bring together elite para-swimmers from across Europe and will feature 166 medal events over six days.

This year’s championship will be the eighth edition of the European Para Swimming Championships and the first time Turkiye has hosted the event. The competition is also an important stage for athletes working towards the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

The programme includes a wide range of events across different para-swimming classifications, from freestyle and backstroke to breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley, as well as mixed relay races.

For Azerbaijan’s swimmers, the training camp in Ganja provides the final opportunity to sharpen their form before the six-day European competition begins.

The Azerbaijan women’s national volleyball team will play their next match today in Group C of the European Championship, which is also being hosted by Baku.

The team coached by head coach Faig Garayev will face Romania in the third round of the group stage.

The match will take place at the National Gymnastics Arena and will begin at 18:30.

In the other match of the day, the Netherlands and Portugal will face each other. The game will start at 15:30.

After two matches, Azerbaijan lead Group C with six points. The national team previously defeated Portugal 3-1 and Spain 3-0.

The 2026 CEV Women’s Volleyball European Championship is jointly hosted by Azerbaijan, Turkiye, the Czech Republic and Sweden from August 21 to September 6.

Group C matches is being played in Azerbaijan, with the national teams of Azerbaijan, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and Spain competing in the group.

Baku is hosting the Group C matches at the National Gymnastics Arena from August 21 to 28.

An unidentified projectile struck a tanker in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia, causing a fire on the vessel’s main deck.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that the incident occurred approximately 63 nautical miles (117 km) west of the Saudi port city of Yanbu. UKMTO was notified of the strike by the security officer of the company operating the vessel.

All crew members are reported to be safe. No oil spill or other environmental damage has been reported.

UKMTO did not disclose the tanker’s name, flag, cargo, or the extent of the damage.

It urged ships to exercise caution while transiting and report any suspicious activity.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea. In July, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia in response to what they described as a blockade of Yemeni ports and an attack on Sanaa International Airport. The restrictions were declared to cover maritime traffic traveling to and from Saudi ports.

The Houthi actions have reportedly created significant difficulties for Saudi-linked shipping navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Yanbu has increasingly served as an alternative route for Saudi oil exports amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with Saudi Aramco redirecting part of its Arab Light crude exports to the port.

The State Examination Center (SEC) has announced the selection of specializations for admission to vacant places in master’s degree programs at higher education institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The specialization selection process will be held from August 24 to 30.

Bachelor’s graduates who meet the competition requirements determined based on the results of the master’s admission examinations held on February 15, May 17, and June 14, 2026, and who have been granted the right to participate in the specialization selection process are eligible to apply for the vacant places. For certain programs, the results of the aptitude examination will also be taken into consideration.

It should be noted that bachelor’s graduates who were admitted to master’s programs based on the competition results but failed to register at the educational institution within the specified period are considered to have declined to study in the specialization to which they were assigned. Such graduates are not eligible to participate in the competition for the vacant places.

To participate in the competition for vacant places, bachelor’s graduates must access the relevant page on the SEC website by 23:59 on August 30, enter the codes of their selected specializations in the “Bachelor’s Electronic Specialization Selection Application”, and confirm the application.

Each bachelor’s graduate may select up to 20 specialization codes.

The list of specializations with vacant places has been published in Issue No. 6 of the SEC’s “Magistr” journal.

The journal can be purchased from the SEC’s main administrative building, the “Abituriyent” sales outlet, and bookstores. It can also be ordered through the www.abiturient.az website and the Wolt application.

The electronic version of the journal is also available in PDF format on the website.

Another shipment from Russia to Armenia has been carried out in transit through Azerbaijan.

On August 24, seven railway wagons carrying 242 tons of propane were dispatched from Bilajari station toward Boyuk Kesik.

To date, more than 50,000 tons of grain, nearly 9,000 tons of fertilizer, 1,172 tons of propane, 133 tons of aluminum, 1,114 tons of coal, and 67 tons of timber have been transported from Russia to Armenia via Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has so far exported nearly 15,000 tons of diesel fuel and up to 5,000 tons of AI-92 and AI-95 gasoline to Armenia.

The development follows a key policy shift announced on October 21, 2025. In a joint press statement with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed that Azerbaijan had lifted all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia that had been in place since the period of occupation. The first shipment under this new framework consisted of Kazakh grain delivered to Armenia.

The first international film festival in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur has opened in Lachin, bringing filmmakers and cinema professionals from Azerbaijan and abroad together for several days of screenings and discussions.

The Lachin International Film Festival (LIFF 2026) will run until August 27.

Nearly 300 films from 47 countries were submitted for consideration. Following the international selection process, 38 films – 20 international and 18 Azerbaijani productions were chosen for the festival’s official programme.

The line-up features films from countries including Trkiye, Uzbekistan, Iran, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Greece, Norway, France, Ukraine, Pakistan, Germany, Poland, Spain, Indonesia, Moldova, Serbia and India.

The main screenings are taking place from August 24 to 26 at LaCinema, Lachin’s dedicated cinema venue. Alongside the film programme, the festival includes panel discussions and other events bringing together local and international figures from the film industry.

The official opening ceremony is scheduled for August 25.

One of the main discussions that day will focus on Azerbaijan-Turkiye cooperation in cinema, with industry professionals discussing opportunities for joint productions and closer creative partnerships.

The festival will conclude with a closing and awards ceremony on August 26, coinciding with Lachin City Day.

The Uzbek historical film about Amir Temur will be among the works presented at the ongoing Lachin International Film Festival.

The film “Rise of the Conqueror”, dubbed into Azerbaijani, will be screened on August 26 at LaCinema, the festival’s main cinema venue in Lachin. It will mark the film’s first screening in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

The screening is part of the programme of LIFF 2026, the first international film festival held in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.

The festival runs through August 27, featuring films from different countries as well as meetings, panel discussions and other events involving Azerbaijani and international cinema professionals.

The main film programme is being held at LaCinema from August 24 to 26.

Alongside Azerbaijani productions, the festival programme includes films from Germany, Poland, Uzbekistan, Spain, Turkiye, Indonesia, Moldova, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine, India and several other countries.

The inclusion of Amir Temur gives festival audiences an opportunity to see an Uzbek production in Azerbaijani and adds a historical film from Central Asia to this year’s international line-up.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declined to comment on its Director Kash Patel’s potential visit to Russia, RIA Novosti reported on Sunday.

“We decline to comment,” the FBI replied to the Russian outlet’s inquiry.

Last month, Politico reported that Patel is likely to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg in mid-October this year, citing an unnamed US official and a person familiar with the matter. It remains unclear whether he will actually go, and whether he will meet President Vladimir Putin or any other officials.