Category: Azer News

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva has visited the Gafarov family, participants of the “Young Beekeeper” project, who live in Gabala’s Mikhligovag village, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, a sincere conversation took place with the family members, and Leyla Aliyeva took a close interest in their experience gained within the project and their future plans. The family members expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the implementation of this initiative as well as for Leyla Aliyeva’s personal visit.

For information, young beekeeper Lala Gafarova produced 40 kilograms of honey last year and 100 kilograms this year. She also took part in the Honey Festival held in Kalbajar last month at the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, where she presented her products to customers as a participant of the “Young Beekeeper” project.

Since 2021, the “Young Beekeeper” project has been implemented on the initiative of the IDEA Public Union in partnership with the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, the State Employment Agency, and the ABAD public legal.

The main goal of the project is to increase the interest of young families in the regions in beekeeping, to support their employment, and to promote ecologically sustainable small family businesses.

The head of the Balaken district executive authority, Islam Rzayev, has been dismissed from his post, Azernews reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed the relevant decree.

On October 29, an official reception dedicated to the 102nd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Trkiye was held at the Gulustan Palace in Baku. Azernews reports that the event was organized by the Embassy of Trkiye in Azerbaijan.

The ceremony began with the national anthems of both Trkiye and Azerbaijan. The guests included members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Baku, military attachés, government officials, parliamentarians, public figures, and media representatives.

In his opening remarks, Trkiye’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Birol Akgn, highlighted that the modern Republic of Trkiye was founded in 1923 following a national struggle led by Mustafa Kemal Atatrk against imperial powers that sought to occupy Anatolia after World War I. ‘Today we proudly celebrate the 102nd anniversary of our Republic,’ the ambassador said.

He emphasized that Trkiye’s foreign policy has always been guided by Atatrk’s timeless principle – ‘Peace at home, peace in the world.’ Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ambassador Akgn noted, Trkiye has become a principled and influential global actor, maintaining strong partnerships within the Western world while actively contributing to a more just and multipolar international system.

Akgn also underlined Trkiye’s vital role in the Islamic world and its growing cooperation with Turkic nations through the Organization of Turkic States. ‘The Turkic world is our common cultural family,’ he said, stressing that this unity aims not at confrontation, but at promoting development, solidarity, and shared prosperity. ‘Strengthening the Middle Corridor serves the interests of the entire world,’ he added.

Following the ambassador’s remarks, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahib? Gafarova delivered a speech in which she paid tribute to Atatrk’s legacy, emphasizing that his republican, secular, and democratic ideals remain the cornerstone of Trkiye’s continued success.

She noted that under President Erdogan’s leadership, Trkiye has become one of the most powerful and respected nations in the world, playing a leading role in shaping the contours of the emerging international order. ‘Trkiye’s independent and multi-vector foreign policy stands as a model of responsibility, principle, and foresight,’ Gafarova said.

The Speaker also praised Trkiye’s growing influence in promoting peace and dialogue from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. ‘Trkiye’s diplomacy embodies wisdom and flexibility – its voice is the sound of peace, stability, and justice,’ she said.

Highlighting Trkiye’s impressive progress in defense, science, technology, and the economy, Gafarova added: ‘The unifying creative energy of the Turkish people has led to remarkable achievements. Trkiye today holds a dignified place among the world’s largest economies and serves as a central hub for energy, transport, and logistics connecting continents.’

She concluded by noting that Trkiye remains a nation confident in its future – faithful to its national values, open to innovation, and committed to building and defending peace and prosperity.

The United States has invited Azerbaijan to participate in the planned ‘Stability Force’ to be deployed in Gaza, Azernews reports, citing AnewZ sources.

According to the report, Azerbaijan has not yet made a final decision on the matter.

However, Baku’s position remains consistent; any participation must be based on a UN Security Council resolution that ensures international legitimacy and defines a clear mandate for the mission.

Earlier, Politico reported that several countries, including Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and Pakistan, were considered as potential contributors to the proposed international stability force for Gaza.

From October 31 to November 2, Baku will be the venue for the major Art Festival “Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW,” an event that combines art, culture, and environmental awareness, Azernews reports.

The project is organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the IDEA Public Union, in cooperation with the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. The author and initiator of the project is Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder of the IDEA Public Union.

This immersive initiative will turn Baku into a dynamic hub for modern creativity, conversation, and exploration. The festival will place a strong focus on the ecological challenges facing oceans and seas, addressing these issues through the medium of art.

The central theme of the festival is water as a symbol of life, renewal, and sustainable development. Water, representing resilience, renewal, and collective memory, has been chosen as the key element of the Art Weekend, facilitating a meaningful dialogue between Azerbaijan and the international art community.

One of the most exciting initiatives developed for the Art Weekend is “Four Seas of Parathetis,” led by Firuza Sultanzade, the head of the Republican Center for the Development of Children and Youth and the Social-Ecological Center “Ecosphere.” This immersive program, designed for both children and their parents, spans multiple locations and themes. Firuza Sultanzade highlighted that the program’s aim is to merge creativity, education, and ecological awareness, helping the younger generation grasp the significance of culture and nature while also nurturing their artistic skills. Children will be engaged not just as viewers but as active participants.

Participants of the program will embark on an art cruise through four ports of art, navigating waves of music, visual arts, science, and research. At each stop, guests will experience an exciting new program.

The first port will be the Republican Center for the Development of Children and Youth, where participants will receive special art cruise passports. These passports will list the four stops they need to visit.

“Here, guests will find themselves in an atmosphere of science and various workshops, where they will be able to create alongside professionals, artists, sculptors, landscape designers, and researchers, conducting different experiments. For example, they will create theatrical masks, paint, listen to the sounds of the sea, learn about whales and dolphins, and explore water-related issues.”

The second port will be the National Museum of Arts of Azerbaijan, located near the Republican Center for the Development of Children and Youth.

“In the museum, children will meet with artists, and a tour will be organized. All of this will be interactive and immersive. The children will be taught how artists depict water and how it can be conveyed through artistic expression. In addition, there will be workshops on watercolor painting, based on the theme of water. Monotype – a form of graphic art and printmaking technique that is not engraving – will also be presented. In this technique, the artist applies oil or lithographic paint with a brush to a flat metal plate, which is then used to make prints on dampened paper under pressure on an etching press. In the spacious hall, various animated and documentary films about water, nature protection, and animals living by the sea will be shown.”

The third stop will be the Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall, located near the Azerbaijan National Art Museum.

“At the Philharmonic Hall, there will be a performance by the State Chamber Orchestra, conducted by People’s Artist Ayyub Guliyev, who will present short works by world and national classical composers, as well as contemporary authors, dedicated to water. Children will be involved in the musical works, interacting and even conducting the orchestra. The creative team will answer the children’s questions about the pieces, musical instruments, and the creative aspects of the compositions. This will be an immersive theater experience.”

Finally, the fourth port will be the open area with a fountain in front of School No. 6, located near the State Philharmonic Hall.

“For the final stage, we have even purchased inflatable pools and special cushions. There will be huge cubes where children can try their hand at street art, creating drawings with water-based paints and washable markers. The children will draw images related to the sea, rivers, and other water features. Here, together with the State Puppet Theatre, a special immersive performance will be created. The children, along with the puppets they made during our workshops, will actively participate and tell a story. And most importantly, attention will be given to the four seas-the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Azov Sea, and Aral Sea, each with its own character, history, and ecological problem. All of this will be presented in an associative manner. I’m sure that this program will stay in the children’s memory for a long time, and they will always associate the world around them, talented people, music, creativity, and the unifying power of art and ecology as helping this world to survive.”

A fitness center in Binzhou, Shandong Province, northern China, has launched an unusual weight loss competition, offering a Porsche Panamera as the grand prize, Azernews reports.

Participants must pay an entrance fee of $1,400, and the prize-a car valued at $150,000-will go to the individual who loses 50 kg (110 lbs) in three months.

‘This campaign is real and already underway. Registration will close once we reach 30 participants. So far, about seven or eight people have signed up,’ the gym said. They also clarified that the winner will receive a used 2020 Porsche, which currently belongs to the gym owner, rather than a brand-new vehicle.

The entrance fee includes meals and accommodation, but the fitness center has not yet revealed details about the training program or the criteria for judging the weight loss.

The competition has sparked concern among health experts and the public. Dr. Zeng, a well-known medical blogger in China, warned that losing weight too quickly can be dangerous.

‘Losing 0.5 kg per day is far too fast. Unless someone is severely overweight, this pace results in muscle loss rather than fat loss. A safer target is about 0.5 kg per week,’ he explained.

Despite the warnings, the contest has drawn curiosity online, with many netizens commenting on the extreme challenge and the high-stakes incentive. Some see it as a creative marketing strategy, while others question the ethics and health risks of such rapid weight loss competitions.

Interestingly, the trend of offering luxury prizes for extreme fitness challenges is growing in parts of Asia, highlighting both the popularity of competitive wellness programs and the lengths people are willing to go for fame and rewards.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has praised efforts to normalize relations with Azerbaijan and urged the Armenian public to support the ongoing peace process, Azernews reports, citing Armenian media.

‘We have peace, and that is the reality. This is a historic change not only in our bilateral relations with Azerbaijan but also for the region as a whole,’ Pashinyan said during his address at the Paris Peace Forum.

Expressing confidence in public support, the prime minister noted, ‘I am confident that the people of the Republic of Armenia will support what we have achieved so far. I do not doubt that Armenian citizens will back the peace agenda and the peace process.’

Pashinyan also highlighted that the normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, including the opening of borders and the establishment of diplomatic ties, is now only a matter of time. ‘There are currently no significant obstacles to this,’ he said, adding that he expects both countries to become ‘normal neighbours’ with full political and economic cooperation in due course.

The ongoing peace efforts between Baku and Yerevan gained momentum following a landmark trilateral summit in Washington, D.C., on August 8, 2025, hosted by US President Donald J. Trump. During the summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took significant steps toward normalizing relations and enhancing regional cooperation.

The summit concluded with the signing of a joint declaration affirming respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity while rejecting the use of force. A draft peace agreement titled ‘Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia’ was also initialled by both countries’ foreign ministers, marking a milestone in the decades-long conflict.

One of the key outcomes of the Washington summit was the agreement to establish the ‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’ (TRIPP), also known as the Zangazur Corridor, which will connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory, fostering trade and regional integration.

The table tennis players who will represent Azerbaijan at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been announced, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan will be represented by six athletes in the competition. The team consists of Marziya Nurmatova, Zemfira Mikayilova, Aylin Asgarova, Onur Guluzade, Hilal Hasanov, and Adil Ahmadzade.

The team is currently in a training camp at the “Shua Sports Complex” in preparation for the competition. They will depart for Saudi Arabia on November 6.

The table tennis events will take place from November 8 to 13.

The 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games are set to take place on November 7-21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the sixth edition of this multi-sport event for athletes from countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Approximately 3,500 athletes from 57 countries will compete in the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games

The event is expected to feature a wide array of sports, with athletes from across the Muslim world competing to promote solidarity and cultural exchange through sports?.

Recall that Azerbaijan hosted the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017. A total of 24 disciplines from 21 sports were contested in this edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Some sports also include disabled sports events such as athletics and judo.

Tehran Mammadov (65 kg) has added three silver medals to the country’s medal haul at the European Junior and U23 Weightlifting Championships held in Durres, Albania, Azernews reports.

The weightlifter successfully lifted 133 kg in the snatch. In the clean and jerk, he managed to lift 155 kg overhead, achieving a total result of 288 kg.

Thus, Tehran Mammadov earned silver medals for his successful execution of the snatch and clean and jerk, securing second place on the overall podium.

The 2025 European Junior Championships will serve as a qualification event for the 2026 Commonwealth Games for Full Member Federations.

The U23 Championships will be open to associate members, and their outcomes will be included in the official results of the 2025 European U23 Championships.

The championships will last until November 4.

Wrestling remains the most popular sport in the country and is overseen by the National Wrestling Federation, which was established in 1993.

The Rio Games opened a new page in wrestling for Azerbaijan. The country became one of only two nations ever to increase the number of medals achieved in five consecutive games.

In 2020, Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers finished third in the overall medal table of the Individual World Cup in Serbia.

National wrestlers won two medals, including silver and bronze. Russia topped the medal table, followed by Turkiye.

The national team also won five medals at the Grand Prix Moscow held in Russia.

The national team won one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals in the tournament

In 2022, Azerbaijani wrestler Osman Nurmagomedov (92 kg) was crowned the World Champion in Belgrade.

Nurmagomedov became the World Champion after defeating the Russian wrestler in the final.

At 2024 Summer Olympic, Greco-Roman wrestler Hasrat Jafarov (67 kg), freestyle wrestlers Giorgi Meshvildishvili (125 kg) and Magomedkhan Magomedov (97 kg) won bronze medals for Azerbaijan.

Trkiye has achieved a historic milestone in exports, reaching a total of $390 billion, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat announced in a written statement.

‘Trkiye is no longer just a producer, but a trade and export power that delivers its production to the world,’ Bolat declared.

The minister emphasized that the Turkish economy now boasts a broad and value-added export portfolio ranging from automotive and white goods to defense and software industries. He pointed out that the number of exporting companies has risen to 180,396, highlighting the country’s expanding global trade presence.

‘In the early years of our Republic, exports were made to only 24 countries and covered 30 product chapters. Today, exports have spread to 224 countries and customs territories across 12,806 different products,’ Bolat stated.

He added that as of October 29, 2025, Trkiye’s goods exports reached $270 billion, setting a new all-time record. Together with services, total exports have reached $390 billion, surpassing annual targets and marking the highest level in the nation’s history.

Between 1980 and 2000, Trkiye’s share in world goods exports averaged 0.38%. This figure rose to 0.55% in 2002 and further climbed to 1.07% by 2024, the highest in the Republic’s history. ‘This great success is the most concrete indicator that Trkiye, stepping into the second century of its Republic with a strong export vision, has solidified its position on the global stage with its production capacity and competitive economy,’ Bolat said.

He underscored that in 2024, Trkiye achieved exports exceeding $1 billion to 53 countries, reaching record highs in 60 markets. Thirty-one provinces recorded annual exports surpassing $1 billion, while the number of product chapters exceeding this figure also rose to 53, marking another turning point.

Bolat recalled that in 1973, it took an entire year to export $1 billion worth of goods. By 1987, this amount was achieved in a month, and since 2013, in a single day. ‘Today, our daily exports sometimes reach $2 billion,’ he added.

Despite challenges in the global trade environment, Trkiye has maintained its economic resilience, achieving record export levels in many markets. Exports to the EU-27 countries rose from $11.3 billion in 1996 to $115.1 billion annually as of September 2025, thanks to the momentum gained from the Customs Union.

Trkiye’s share in total EU-27 imports increased from 2.2% in 2002 to 4.0% in 2024, the highest level ever recorded. ‘Today, Trkiye is a reliable, stable, and strong trade partner preferred by developed countries,’ Bolat remarked.

The share of industrial products in total exports, which was 21.2% in 1969, rose to 94.2% in 2024. Similarly, the share of machinery and transport equipment increased from 0.2% in 1969 to 30.1% in 2024. This transformation, Bolat said, ‘is a clear reflection of Trkiye’s evolution from an agriculture-based economy to one driven by high-tech manufacturing and industrial exports.’

Trkiye’s success in foreign trade has also translated into economic growth. Between 1980 and 2002, while the world economy grew by 3.1%, Trkiye’s economy expanded by 3.9%, outperforming the global average. From 2003 to 2024, Trkiye’s growth rate exceeded the world average by 1.9 percentage points, strengthening its position among the world’s major economies.

By 2024, Trkiye ranked 17th globally in nominal GDP, up from 21st in 2002, and 12th in purchasing power parity, up from 16th. During 2002-2024, Trkiye’s GDP grew by 216% in real terms, and in dollar terms, increased nearly fivefold-from $238.7 billion in 2002 to $1.358 trillion in 2024. Per capita income rose from $3,616 to $15,325.

Bolat noted that between 2020 and 2024, Trkiye achieved an average annual growth rate of 5.4%, becoming the second fastest-growing economy among OECD countries.