Category: Azer News

Lithuania has deployed NASAMS air defense systems in areas near the capital Vilnius, replacing the previously used RBS-70 systems.

According BNS, Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander General Raimundas Vaikšnor?s said the NASAMS systems provide more effective and broader protection for the capital.

‘Today, the areas near Vilnius are protected more effectively, with greater capabilities and a wider range,’ Vaikšnor?s said.

The general also noted that using expensive NASAMS missiles against relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles may not be economically efficient. However, he said Lithuania currently has no other means available to counter this type of threat.

NASAMS is considered a medium-range air defense system, while the RBS-70 is primarily designed to engage aerial targets at shorter ranges.

Lithuania has been expanding its air defense capabilities in recent years. In addition to NASAMS, the country also operates mobile short-range air defense systems based on the RBS-70 NG.

First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and her daughter Leyla Aliyeva, together with First Lady of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva and her daughters Saida and Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, visited the ‘Okhun Gozar’ art space in Tashkent.

The project was implemented at the initiative of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The art space features exhibitions showcasing ceramics, needlework, jewelry, as well as woodcarving.

Various meetings, lectures, and educational events are also held here.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Independence Monument in Tashkent.

President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the monument.

The monument was erected in the center of the ‘Yangi Uzbekistan’ (‘New Uzbekistan’) complex to mark the 30th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. It is topped by a figure of the Huma bird with its wings spread wide, symbolizing peace, freedom, kindness, and happiness. The monument was designed at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Voter turnout in Kazakhstan’s election for the country’s new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai, exceeded 50% by 2 p.m. local time on Sunday.

According to Secretary of Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission Shavkat Utemisov, 6,696,002 voters had received ballots by 2 p.m., representing 53.12% of citizens included on the voter lists.

The lowest turnout was recorded in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, at 30.36%. The highest turnout was registered in Kyzylorda Region, where 64.22% of eligible voters had cast ballots. In the capital Astana, turnout stood at 40.92%.

Kazakhstan does not have a minimum voter turnout requirement for parliamentary elections. The election is considered valid regardless of the number of citizens who participate.

Voting is being conducted exclusively through party lists. Voters can choose one of seven political parties or vote against all candidates.

The election is the first to the newly established Kurultai, a unicameral legislature created following Kazakhstan’s constitutional reforms.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered press statements in Tashkent on August 23.

The President of Uzbekistan made the statement first.

Then, the President of Azerbaijan made the statement.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

– Thank you, dear Shavkat Miromonovich.

Dear friends,

First of all, I would like to once again express my gratitude to you for the invitation, for the hospitality, and for such a sincere attitude toward Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people.

As you know, we have the same warm, fraternal feelings toward Uzbekistan and the brotherly people of Uzbekistan. And I think that the results of today’s visit once again confirm this. First of all, however, I would like to note once again that this is not my first visit to Tashkent, and every time I come here, I notice rapid development. It is evident in everything – both in major projects and in the details. Tashkent and the whole of Uzbekistan are thriving today. And this is the result of the work of my dear brother Shavkat Miromonovich, whose efforts are aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan’s potential, enhancing its position in the international arena, and addressing the most important socio-economic challenges.

When Shavkat Miromonovich took over the leadership of Uzbekistan, the situation was completely different. The citizens of Uzbekistan know this well, and so do we. Therefore, he had to make tremendous efforts to put the country on the path of development, essentially to build the economic foundations for the country’s development from scratch, diversify the economy, develop industry and agriculture on a diversified basis, and attract investment into those sectors of the economy that had and continue to have great potential. And today we see a completely different Uzbekistan – Uzbekistan as a highly respected member of the international community, where issues related to industrial development, agriculture, energy and transport infrastructure are being addressed promptly and effectively. Everything that Shavkat Miromonovich spoke about with regard to our bilateral relations primarily concerns what he and his team have accomplished for Uzbekistan.

I have already spoken about this today: without this groundwork, without this potential, it would have been impossible to implement a single joint project. In fact, before Shavkat Miromonovich assumed the leadership of Uzbekistan, there was not a single joint project between our countries. Today, however, we are talking about the goal of reaching $1 billion in trade turnover not as some distant dream, but as something we will probably achieve within a couple of years. And what was discussed today – those mutual investment projects in the sectors that our economies require and need – all this would have been impossible if the two countries had not developed along parallel paths. And this parallel course is now an important factor in broader geopolitics, because, as Shavkat Miromonovich noted, following Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the cooperation format of the Central Asian countries – and, incidentally, he played a special role in this matter – the geography of cooperation has expanded.

Central Asia and Azerbaijan today constitute a single geopolitical and geo-economic region, which has enormous potential today, but even greater potential for further growth. The close interaction between our countries, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, will largely determine the overall positive development dynamics of this vast region, which I would even call a newly emerging and already sufficiently integrated region.

Each of the projects we discussed today has its own value, and together they create, as Shavkat Miromonovich noted, an unprecedented level of cooperation in our relations. We have covered practically all areas, from energy, transport and investment projects to tourism, cooperation in the mining sector, the automotive industry, agriculture and processing. Even today, at the end of the official bilateral events, when we laid the foundations for new projects or inaugurated new projects, simply listing these projects is enough to see how multifaceted our cooperation is. I also forgot to mention cooperation in the banking sector, with a leading Azerbaijani bank entering the Uzbek market, SOCAR entering Uzbekistan’s retail market, while in projects related to the exploration of oil and gas resources, we are already essentially at the final stage and very much hope to begin drilling production wells next year, once, I hope, the exploration drilling and exploration activities yield positive results.

So, today we are already talking about prospects. The fact is that our bilateral relations are now based on a very solid foundation – both spiritual and material. Such a synthesis is not often seen in world politics, but it exists here. And the determination of the governments of both countries to promote development, create better living conditions and pool our efforts is the most important factor in ensuring our success.

And, of course, I would once again like to highlight the special role of President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev in attracting investments to Garabagh. Uzbekistan provided the first assistance by building the Mirzo Ulugbek School for 960 students in Fuzuli and investing in a garment manufacturing facility in Khankendi. The first major industrial enterprise was also associated with Uzbekistan. There are further plans for cooperation both in the Garabagh region and in many other regions. It is also noteworthy that today, during events related to the inauguration or groundbreaking of numerous projects – there were, I believe, ten or even more of them – there were also a number of regional projects.

The projects are not limited to Baku and Tashkent, although, of course, the main focus is on these two cities, but they also extend to other regions. The interregional cooperation forum held yesterday is of enormous practical importance. In other words, we are joining forces and creating synergy, as they like to say nowadays. We have a very clear action plan to move forward, and each project is underpinned by concrete substance. If we also add the investment fund, which is already one-third backed by projects, as well as investment projects in Azerbaijan’s tourism infrastructure and automotive industry, we are already talking about billions in investment.

Investments are generally made in friendly countries, and in our case, in brotherly countries, and usually in countries where a favorable investment climate exists. And this brings me back to where I started. Shavkat Miromonovich deserves enormous credit for creating, through his reforms, persistence and wisdom, an investment climate in which international financial institutions and major international players now view Uzbekistan as a country at a successful stage of development.

As your friends and brothers, we sincerely welcome this, and I am confident that all the plans you have outlined will be implemented, and that we will work together to bring our countries and peoples even closer.

And in conclusion, I would like to invite you, Shavkat Miromonovich, to visit Azerbaijan on a state visit at a time convenient for you.

Thank you for your attention.

The evacuation of tourists stranded in the Tolbachik volcano area in Russia’s Kamchatka region has begun following heavy rainfall that disrupted road access.

The tourists will be evacuated by helicopter from the ‘Dead Forest’ site. From there, they are expected to be transported by air to a road-accessible area and then taken by bus to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

A group of 79 tourists is currently walking from the Kleshnya area toward the ‘Dead Forest’ site.

Three buses have been dispatched to transport the tourists from the Krapivnaya road junction to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Up to 115 people are expected to be evacuated in total.

Among the tourists stranded in the volcano area are Azerbaijani citizen Tatyana Dolivets, as well as nationals of Russia, China, Belarus and Israel.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia and Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Yekaterinburg contacted the relevant local authorities, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijani community operating in Kamchatka, and have been closely monitoring the situation.

The tourists were cut off from road transport after heavy rains caused a river to overflow. The resulting flooding washed away approximately 30 kilometers of the road.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Ukraine “opened the Pandora’s box” when it started attacking civilian targets, and added that Moscow will respond to these attacks.

“The Kyiv regime set out to damage our economy. What did they do? They opened this ‘Pandora’s box’ themselves. Well, now you’ll get an answer about your most sensitive sectors of the economy, which, frankly, are already on their last legs,” Putin told Vesti News Agency’s journalist Pavel Zarubin in an interview, adding that Russian retaliatory strikes are “more destructive” than the Ukrainian strikes against Russia.

The Russian president also claimed that Ukraine’s plan to defeat Russia “within 40 days and with the help of massive missile and drone strikes against our civilian facilities and logistics” is “yet another gamble.”

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev familiarized himself with Uzbekistan’s largest urban development project – ‘New Tashkent.’

The project is a new urban development model that integrates the country’s economy, investment policy, transport system, education, ecology, and digital technologies within a single space. Upon full completion of the project, more than 260,000 new jobs are expected to be created. Currently, more than 10,000 workers are employed at the construction sites. One of the key innovative solutions applied in ‘New Tashkent’ is trigeneration technology, through which electricity generation, heating, and cooling processes are managed within a unified technological chain.

Modern administrative buildings for more than 60 government institutions, hotels, restaurants, service centers, business complexes, tourism facilities, ‘New Uzbekistan’ University, a new complex of the National Library of Uzbekistan, scientific laboratories, multimedia centers, museums, sports facilities, and a student campus are being built in the area.

The ‘Sharq Bahori’ (‘Eastern Spring’) complex, currently under construction, will become one of Central Asia’s largest residential projects. Spanning an area of 95 hectares, the complex is planned to comprise approximately 15,000 apartments.

Azerbaijan’s women’s national volleyball team will play Spain today in their second Group C match at the 2026 European Championship.

The match, coached by Faig Garayev, will take place at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku and is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. local time. In the other Group C fixture, Portugal will face Belgium at 3:30 p.m.

Azerbaijan opened its European Championship campaign with a 3-1 victory over Portugal. Spain, meanwhile, lost its opening match to Belgium 2-3.

Following the opening round, Azerbaijan lead Group C with three points. Belgium and the Netherlands have two points each, while Romania and Spain have one point apiece. Portugal are yet to earn a point.

The 2026 Women’s European Volleyball Championship is being co-hosted by Azerbaijan, Trkiye, Sweden and Czechia. Group C matches are being held in Baku, with Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Romania competing in the group. The Baku group stage will conclude on August 28.

The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relationship has spent years accumulating political capital, and now the two countries are being challenged to turn that capital into economic power.

Perhaps that is the real test facing President Ilham Aliyev’s 23-24 August state visit to Uzbekistan. Analysed politically and economically, the relationship is already unusually strong, as indeed, Baku and Tashkent describe one another as brotherly allies, supported by deep historical and cultural links. Presidents of both countries maintain frequent contact, while a growing network of bilateral agreements has transformed political goodwill into formal strategic commitments.

But the most interesting development is happening beneath the diplomatic headlines. As mentioned above, the economic relationship is moving faster than politics, with trade obviously rising sharply. For example, investment structures are being created, companies are expanding across borders, transport flows are increasing, manufacturing partnerships are producing vehicles, and Uzbek businesses are participating in Azerbaijan’s reconstruction programme. In other words, the relationship is beginning to acquire an economic life of its own.

Certainly, that matters because the strategic value of the partnership will ultimately depend on whether it can move beyond state-to-state diplomacy. Moreover, in all these successes, not only words speak but numbers, which suggest tremendous momentum.

Let’s take a look at how bilateral trade climbed to $795 million in 2025, more than tripling from the previous year. During the first five months of 2026, trade was another 33 per cent higher year on year.

Besides, more than 130 Uzbek companies are operating in Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company, established in 2023, provides another institutional channel for financing projects.

We can admit that numbers speak volumes, but perhaps the next question is whether this momentum can be scaled. When deeply analysing, we can see that manufacturing offers an obvious opportunity.

For instance, cooperation through Azermash with Uzbek partners has already produced more than 10,000 Chevrolet vehicles and over 300 Isuzu vehicles, through which it demonstrates that bilateral economic relations are capable of moving beyond the traditional exchange of commodities. And the same logic applies to agriculture.

Uzbekistan’s involvement in the 100-hectare ‘Friendship Garden’ project in Fuzuli illustrates how economic cooperation is being connected to Azerbaijan’s reconstruction agenda. The project is intended to cultivate both Uzbek and Azerbaijani pomegranate varieties, creating a tangible symbol of economic and agricultural cooperation.

Moreover, the Mirza Ulugbek school in Fuzuli represents another dimension. Generally, Uzbekistan’s role in rebuilding and developing liberated territories gives the bilateral relationship a long-term physical presence inside Azerbaijan. It also creates opportunities for Uzbek companies and institutions to participate in reconstruction, agriculture, education and infrastructure.

Looking through all this progress, one can say that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are not simply trading with one another. Both countries are increasingly building projects together.

There is a lot more to say about the progress underway. Another example is that transport could become the next major growth engine. The 1.4 million tonnes of transit recorded between the two countries in 2025 underline the potential. Azerbaijan’s position on the Caspian and Uzbekistan’s position deep inside Central Asia create a natural economic logic for stronger east-west connections. Besides that, it should be highlighted that the Middle Corridor is central to that calculation.

As companies and governments seek alternatives to traditional Eurasian routes, the ability to move goods from Central Asia across the Caspian and through Azerbaijan towards Trkiye and Europe becomes increasingly valuable. Therefore, for Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan provides a western gateway, and for Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan provides access to one of Central Asia’s largest and most dynamic markets, which, in reality, creates a strategic relationship based on geography as much as politics.

However, it is not limited to what is mentioned above, as there is another advantage: the partnership does not depend on a single sector.

As is known, energy cooperation between Baku and Tashkent has existed for years, and, on the other hand, transport is expanding, manufacturing is developing, agriculture is entering the equation, investment institutions are being strengthened, tourism and aviation links are growing, and cultural and educational exchanges are deepening. Even the human infrastructure of the relationship is expanding, as observed in regular flights connecting Baku with Tashkent and Samarkand. Students study in both countries. Cities are establishing sister-city relationships. Media and civil-society forums have created additional channels of contact.

This matters more than it is expressed through words, because sustainable economic integration rarely comes from government agreements alone, and it actually requires business networks, institutional contacts and people-to-people links. And looking at all this progress, this grounds all thoughts that the two countries are gradually building all three.

Furthermore, the Azerbaijan-Uzbek political architecture is also becoming more sophisticated. The Supreme Interstate Council provides a mechanism for strategic coordination, while the Intergovernmental Commission has already held 15 meetings, most recently in July 2026.

Moreover, the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Regional Forum adds another layer, bringing local governments and businesses into the relationship. This is particularly important because the next phase of bilateral growth may increasingly come from regional rather than central-government initiatives.

A city in Azerbaijan partnering with a region in Uzbekistan can generate commercial opportunities that may never emerge from a presidential summit alone.

That is why the fourth Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Interregional Forum, scheduled in Tashkent ahead of the presidential visit, deserves attention. It represents the less glamorous but potentially more consequential side of diplomacy, which focuses on connecting businesses, municipalities and investors.

If Baku and Tashkent can align their transport infrastructure, investment priorities and industrial strategies, the relationship could become a significant economic corridor in its own right, although challenges exist.

Trade remains far below its potential given the size of the two economies. Connectivity across the Caspian still involves logistical constraints. Economic diversification requires sustained private-sector investment rather than government-backed projects alone. The political relationship may therefore be ahead of the commercial one.

That is not necessarily a weakness, but it can be an advantage if governments use their political trust to remove barriers for businesses and create predictable conditions for investment. And it is no coincidence that the August summit offers precisely that opportunity.

Thus President Ilham Aliyev and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev do not need to prove that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are allies. They need to demonstrate what that alliance can produce, where the next chapter of the relationship will be measured less by the number of declarations signed and more by the number of factories built, goods transported, investments made and businesses created.

The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan partnership began with history and culture, and it is now being tested by economics. And if the two sides succeed in matching their political ambition with commercial scale, their alliance could become one of the defining partnerships linking the South Caucasus and Central Asia.