Category: Azer News

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and UCC Holding have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to organise fuel supply to Damascus International Airport, Azernews reports.

According to the information, the two companies plan to establish a joint venture to supply the airport with aviation fuel and to develop the necessary fuel infrastructure. SOCAR’s role will include providing technical expertise for fuel supply operations and ensuring stable aviation fuel delivery.

This cooperation builds on earlier agreements: on September 6 of this year, SOCAR and UCC Holding signed a series of MoUs outlining long-term collaboration in Syria and broader international energy markets.

Amendments are being made to the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offenses, the Laws “On the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments,” and “On Culture”, Azernews reports.

The draft law was discussed at a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building and the Committee on Culture held on December 5.

The submitted draft law has been prepared with the aim of clarifying provisions related to the protection of cultural property and increasing liability.

The draft law also aims to differentiate liability for acts involving the damage or destruction of cultural property based on the amount of harm caused and the form of guilt.

According to the amendments, legal entities may also be held criminally liable for intentionally damaging or destroying cultural property, as well as for negligently destroying such property. In addition, failure to immediately halt construction or other economic activities when a historical or cultural monument is discovered, and failure to report this to the relevant authority designated by the executive power, as well as failure to hand over monuments found in treasure hoards to the state, will be considered administrative offenses.

Legal definitions of the concepts “damage to cultural property” and “destruction of cultural property” are being added to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Culture.”

The draft law prohibits the damage or destruction of cultural property regardless of its level of protection, its relocation without the approval of the relevant authority designated by the executive power, as well as any construction, restoration, reconstruction, conservation, or landscaping work that violates their integrity or poses a threat to them.

At a press conference dedicated to the “OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week 2025,” the Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hussein Ghazawi, stated that the event was not merely a program but a celebration, Azernews reports.

He emphasised that it would be a celebration of cultural diversity, the richness of shared heritage, and solidarity within the Muslim world.

“The OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week 2025″ is not just an event program, but also a celebration. It is a celebration of our cultural diversity, the richness of our shared heritage, and solidarity in the Muslim world,” he said.

“Today, we are pleased to note the wide participation of OIC member states, as well as the gathering of representatives of OIC institutions and creative industries from various parts of the Muslim world. This broad representation once again proves the importance of cultural diplomacy and the strength of our common values,” he added.

According to him, through this festival, the mission of the OIC, bringing our peoples closer together, promoting mutual respect, common development, and sustainable progress, will be given real substance and form. These values form the foundation of the OIC Charter.

With the support of the Embassy of Poland in Azerbaijan, the NGO Arts Council Azerbaijan, and G?nc? Mall, a creative workshop and final exhibition titled “Poland Through the Eyes of Azerbaijani Artists” has taken place, Azernews reports.

The project became an important platform for fostering cultural dialogue between Poland and Azerbaijan, uniting artists from Baku and Ganja in a shared creative space.

The creative workshop was held in a live show format, where the process of creating artworks was fully open to the audience: guests could observe the artists at work, ask them questions, and discuss ideas. This created a lively, interactive atmosphere and allowed visitors to get a closer look at the artists’ techniques and styles. Participants highlighted the importance of such international projects for the development of the regions and creative youth.

The workshop culminated in the opening of an exhibition featuring works by artists from Baku-Leylifar Museibova, Nigar Muslimova, Oksana Kazimova, and Ulvia Heyrullazade, as well as young artists from Ganja: Nazrin Alekserli, Fatima Abbasly, Firangiz Isayeva, Banu Abbasly, Nargiz Nasirova, Nazrin Jafarova, Ulkar Akhundzade, and Nurtaj Allahverdiyeva.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Ambassador of Poland to Azerbaijan, Pawel Radomski, expressed his joy at presenting Polish culture in Ganja and emphasized the high level of skill of the project participants, especially the young female artists. He called cultural exchange the most important element of developing bilateral relations and thanked the organizers for their cooperation, support, and warm welcome.

The head of Arts Council Azerbaijan, Dadas Mamadov, congratulated the participants on the successful completion of the project, thanked the Polish Embassy for their long-standing partnership, and expressed his gratitude to the curator Raul Sadigov for creating favorable conditions for the work. He emphasized that the involvement of young artists from Ganja was an important stage in their professional growth and noted that Ganja possesses significant cultural potential. Mamadov also stated that cooperation within the framework of such initiatives would continue.

The exhibition “Poland Through the Eyes of Azerbaijani Artists” continues at G?nc? Mall, offering visitors the opportunity to experience a contemporary artistic perspective of Azerbaijani authors on Polish culture and its visual imagery.

The main goal of Arts Council Azerbaijan in organizing the workshop and exhibition is to foster youth interest in art and support Azerbaijani artists.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az.

On Friday, Kia Corp. unveiled a new futuristic concept car featuring cutting-edge smart glass, showcasing the company’s forward-looking philosophy as it celebrates its 80th anniversary, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap agency.

The South Korean automaker introduced the Vision Meta Turismo concept, which it describes as ’embodying Kia’s vision for a new era of mobility,’ during a special event marking the company’s founding in 1944.

‘The concept combines dynamic driving performance with a lounge-inspired interior, paying tribute to the speed and elegance of 1960s long-distance touring,’ Kia said in a statement.

The car represents a reinterpretation of three core elements: performance driving, an immersive experience through digital interaction, and the spaciousness of lounge-style interiors.

‘Inside, the design enhances human-mobility interaction through digital technology, creating a highly immersive experience for both drivers and passengers, with unique design touches and a spacious layout,’ the company added. Kia said it plans to reveal further details about the concept in the near future.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Kia also released a book documenting key milestones in its 80-year history, covering everything from bicycles and three-wheeled vehicles to passenger cars and electric models.

‘Kia’s 80-year journey has been remarkable, an epic narrative. On behalf of Hyundai Motor Group, I extend my gratitude to everyone who has been part of Kia’s legacy,’ said Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. Hyundai Motor Group acquired Kia in 1997.

To commemorate the milestone, Kia will host an exhibition titled ‘The Legacy of Movement’ at Kia Vision Square in Yongin, just south of Seoul. The exhibition will showcase historical models, major products, and concept vehicles, and will remain open to visitors through 2029.

Experts say the Vision Meta Turismo hints at Kia’s ambitions in electric and autonomous mobility, blending retro elegance with futuristic technology-a vision that may shape the next generation of the brand’s vehicles.

Director-General of the Azerbaijan Film Agency, Rashad Azizov, has addressed a press conference devoted to the “OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week – 2025”, Azernews reports.

In his speech, Rashad Azizov underlined that the festival would feature an extensive program and encouraged companies and institutions in the cultural sphere to take an active part.

“The events held within the framework of the OIC Cultural Festival: Baku Creative Week – 2025 are being organized according to an extensive schedule. Companies and institutions working in this field are encouraged to be active. The formation of cultural and creative industries has become an important step as a result of President Ilham Aliyev’s policies. Major reforms have been carried out in this area over the past two years. We also aim to share this experience with other countries. Special attention will be given to new innovations,” he said.

The Director-General of the Azerbaijan Film Agency emphasized that the main event will be the Forum on the Organization of Cultural and Creative Industries, along with a film exhibition and the “Creative Village” exhibition featuring OIC member countries. He also noted that the event has already attracted great interest, with visitors from other countries arriving in Baku.

Rashad Azizov added that a very rich program is planned for the week. As part of the film festival, film exhibitions from several countries will be held.

The Nizami Cinema Center will traditionally serve as the main venue. The main location of the event will be the Baku Convention Center.

Throughout the week, various events will take place in different cinemas. The organization of new types of events is also planned.

The international rating agency Fitch Ratings has assigned a long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of ‘BBB-‘ with a Stable outlook to the Southern Gas Corridor Closed Joint-Stock Company (SGC CJSC), Azernews reports.

According to Fitch, the company’s rating is aligned with that of its sole shareholder, the Republic of Azerbaijan (BBB- / Stable). This reflects the fact that all of SGC’s debt obligations are backed by state guarantees, and Fitch expects this practice to continue throughout the forecast period.

The company’s stand-alone credit profile (SCP) is assessed at ‘bbb-‘, supported by strong cash-flow generation, a highly predictable business model based on long-term gas transportation contracts, large-scale operations, and very solid financial metrics. Constraining factors include price volatility in the upstream segment, natural depletion at the Shah Deniz gas-condensate field, as well as counterparty risks and operational challenges in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Trkiye.

‘As of end-August 2025, all of SGC’s debt remained fully guaranteed by the state, and we expect this to continue,’ Fitch stated.

The agency notes that SGC operates with extensive scale, geographic diversification, and vertical integration. Specifically, the company is involved in:

Upstream: 16.02% stake in the Shah Deniz gas-condensate field

Midstream: Gas transportation to Southern Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Trkiye, including:

51% in TANAP

21.02% in the South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP)

20% in the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP)

Downstream: Sales of natural gas to end consumers.

The Southern Gas Corridor CJSC (SGC) will begin channeling most of its annual cash flow to SOCAR and the Azerbaijani government in the form of dividends starting in 2026, Azernews reports, citing Fitch Ratings.

According to the agency, SGC’s net leverage ratio (EBITDA-based) is projected to average around 0.5x between 2025-2028, compared to 0.3x in 2024, supported by continued strong cash flows and low capital expenditures. Fitch’s assessment is based on the company’s consolidated profile, which includes full consolidation of TANAP (including dividends to minority shareholders), proportional consolidation of its share in the Shah Deniz production-sharing agreement, and dividend income from the South Caucasus Pipeline and TAP.

Fitch analysts also expect no changes to SGC’s rating structure even if SOCAR sells its stake in XRG, the investment platform of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

‘We believe Azerbaijan will retain control and decision-making authority over the Southern Gas Corridor CJSC,’ the report states. ‘If the parties decide to expand project capacity, this would positively influence corporate governance and technological support, while also improving access to financing.’

Azerbaijan will construct multiple vocational education institutions (VEIs) and carry out major renovations of existing ones to meet modern standards, Azernews reports.

According to a decree signed by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on additional measures to strengthen the potential of the vocational education system, 21 new VEIs will be built, and two existing institutions will undergo significant renovations between 2026 and 2030.

The decree emphasizes that high-quality vocational education, which develops skills aligned with labor market demands, plays a crucial role in increasing employment levels and labor productivity. The importance of initiatives in this sector has been highlighted in several recent documents, including the ‘Social and Economic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan’ for 2022-2026, approved by a presidential decree dated July 22, 2022.

The country’s dynamic development and changing labor market demands require modern VEIs with up-to-date infrastructure and teaching resources. Establishing these institutions will help prepare qualified specialists in various fields, enhancing the overall contribution of vocationally trained personnel to the labor market.

Under the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers is tasked with approving a plan for strengthening the potential of the vocational education system within four months and reporting to the President on its implementation. The Ministry of Science and Education will finalize the list of VEIs for construction and renovation and prepare a detailed allocation of the required funding to be submitted to the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan within one month.

The State Oil Fund is mandated to allocate the requisite fiscal resources for the execution of the decree within its annual budgetary frameworks.

The first meeting of the Ministers of Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Turkic States Organization (OTS) is underway in Baku, Azernews reports.

The meeting, held under the theme ‘Cooperation in the Field of Labor for Shared Prosperity in Turkic States,’ brings together officials from member states – Azerbaijan, Trkiye, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan – as well as representatives from observer countries, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Hungary, and Turkmenistan. Senior leaders from the OTS are also in attendance.

Key speakers at the event include Azerbaijan’s Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Anar Aliyev; OTS Secretary-General Kubanichbek Omuraliyev; First Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchybek Dosmatov; Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction, Sirojiddin Bobokulov; Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Viktoriya Shegai; Northern Cyprus Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Oguzhan Hasipoglu; Hungary’s State Secretary for Employment Policy at the Ministry of National Economy, Sándor Czomba; and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Halbibi Tachjanova.

The meeting will conclude with the signing of the Declaration of the First Meeting of OTS Ministers of Labor, Employment, and Social Protection.