Category: Azer News

From October 31 to November 2, the project – which unites art, culture, and ecology – will be held under the organization of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The festival’s official website, www.bakuartweekend.az, is now active, offering visitors access to the full event program.

According to Azernews, the three-day festival will feature more than 40 events held across various locations throughout Baku.

Online registration on the website is mandatory for participation and is now open. Each registered participant will receive a QR code via email. Volunteers from the Regional Development Public Union (RIIB), one of the main supporters of the festival, will assist during the event by checking QR codes and guiding participants.

Parents whose children will join the special entertainment program designed for kids are also required to complete registration.

All festival activities are free of charge.

For additional information and inquiries, please contact: info@bakuartweekend.az

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the decision to lift restrictions on the transit of goods through Azerbaijan toward Armenia, Azernews reports.

Pashinyan made the remarks during his speech at the 5th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.

‘In order to contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond, based on the principle of respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction of states, we proceed from principles that provide for unhindered communication between the main part of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as mutual benefits for the international and internal transit of the Republic of Armenia,’ Pashinyan said.

The Armenian Prime Minister acknowledged Baku’s step as an important development.

‘President Ilham Aliyev recently announced the lifting of transit restrictions on goods passing through the territory of Azerbaijan in the direction of Armenia. This is an extremely important statement, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan for this decision and welcome this statement,’ he noted.

It should be recalled that on October 21, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in a joint press statement with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, highlighted that Azerbaijan had lifted all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia that had been in place since the occupation.

‘I must also say that Azerbaijan has lifted restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia that have existed since the occupation. The first such transit was a cargo of grain from Kazakhstan to Armenia. I think this is also a good indicator that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia exists not only on paper, but also in practice,’ President Ilham Aliyev stated.

A press conference has been held at Baku Dost Center regarding the results of the competition organized within the framework of the “Special Scholarship Program in Culture and Creative Industries”, Azernews reports.

During the conference, Deputy Culture Minister Saadat Yusifova stated that systematic and substantial efforts in the field of culture and creative industries started with the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev dated 2022. This decree approved the Social-Economic Development Strategy for 2022-2026, where key targets for this sector, such as ensuring dynamic development, strengthening export potential, and setting result indicators, were outlined.

Saadat Yusifova said that the main priorities in applying these trends in Azerbaijan include ensuring sustainable development, strengthening human capital, and increasing export opportunities. In this regard, the number of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises is planned to increase by 5 percent, the share of culture and creative industries in GDP is expected to reach 10 percent, and export figures are projected to rise by 10 percent. The main objective is to increase the number of participants in international cooperation platforms by 10 percent.

She also noted that the action plan for the strategy includes the creation of certification programs and a special scholarship program for studying abroad, tailored to the demands of modern, competitive creative fields. The Ministry of Culture is the main implementing body in this regard. It is planned that 1,000 individuals from the cultural and creative industries will have their skills enhanced and certified, while 60 individuals will study abroad. The creation of special educational programs is also one of the priority areas.

Saadat Yusifova outlined that these initiatives aim to contribute to the sustainable development of the sector and strengthen Azerbaijan’s position in international markets.

“By the decision of the Ministry’s Collegium, the Special Scholarship Program in Culture and Creative Industries has been approved. This program aims to train professional personnel in creative fields, promote specialization, and develop innovative approaches. Within the program, support is provided to young people in areas such as theater, design, architecture, the gaming industry, audiovisual arts, performance, and creative technologies,” she added.

Currently, 44 scholarship recipients are studying at 33 higher education institutions in 16 countries.

The Deputy Culture Minister stated that the global economy is increasingly based on creativity, knowledge, and innovation.

“Culture and creative industries have now become not only a cultural sector but also one of the most dynamic and profitable areas of the economy. The key to the development of this sector is human capital – the formation of skilled, forward-thinking, and entrepreneurial individuals,” she said.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of entrepreneurial entities in this field.

According to statistical data, the number of such entities was 21,022 in 2022, 22,024 in 2023, 22,852 in 2024, and reached 23,990 in the first half of 2025.

A video showing the names of the winners of the scholarship program was then presented.

Later, the Advisor to the Culture Minister Jesaret Valehov, mentioned that any Azerbaijani citizen wishing to study abroad can apply for the “Special Scholarship Program in Culture and Creative Industries.”

He explained that applications are carefully reviewed and the process is organized by a special commission.

“The process is carried out transparently and under camera surveillance. The evaluation is done anonymously,” he added.

Finally, the names of the winners were announced, and journalists’ questions were answered.

Estonia plans to open an embassy in Azerbaijan, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, Azernews reports.

‘This is an important step toward strengthening our bilateral relations,’ Tsahkna said, emphasizing Tallinn’s commitment to deepening its presence in the South Caucasus. ‘We need to enhance our representation,’ he added.

The decision marks a new stage in Azerbaijan-Estonia ties, reflecting growing political dialogue and expanding cooperation across diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields.

It is worth noting that diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Estonia date back to the early years of independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Both nations, once part of the Russian Empire and the USSR, have since built cooperative ties grounded in shared membership in the Council of Europe and the OSCE. Estonia supported Azerbaijan’s accession to the Council of Europe and backs its Euro-Atlantic integration. High-level visits, inter-parliamentary cooperation, and joint initiatives in IT and banking underscore the partnership. Cultural links are also strong, with an Azerbaijani community in Estonia and educational institutions reflecting mutual respect and enduring friendship.

Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov has been awarded the “Istiglal” Order, Azernews reports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

According to the decree, Eyyubov was awarded the mentioned order for his great contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.

On October 22, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Yagub Eyyubov and presented him with the ‘Istiglal’ Order, Azernews reports.

Welcoming Yagub Eyyubov, President Ilham Aliyev said:

– Dear Mr. Yagub, first of all, I congratulate you on your upcoming birthday and wish you good health and new successes. You have made a significant contribution to Azerbaijan’s development while serving in various responsible positions over many years. I highly appreciate this. As both you and I know, National Leader Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention to you. In the 1970s, he appointed you to responsible positions as a young cadre and showed great trust in you – trust which you fully justified. For this reason, during the period of independence, when the National Leader returned to power in 1993 at the demand of the people, he once again appointed you to several responsible positions, reaffirming his confidence in you. By his Order, you were appointed First Deputy Prime Minister, a position you have held since those years. Over the 22 years of my presidency, I have also repeatedly expressed my trust in you, reappointing you to the same position after every presidential election. Today, as I present you with this state award, I want to say that I am satisfied with your work. You serve the state and the homeland with dedication and loyalty. You are always proactive in your work and carry out my instructions with full responsibility. Taking into account your great services, I have awarded you the ‘Istiglal’ Order, the highest state decoration of Azerbaijan. With your permission, I now present this high order to you.

President Ilham Aliyev, presenting the ‘Istiglal’ Order to Yagub Eyyubov, said: I congratulate you.

Yagub Eyyubov: Thank you.

Expressing his gratitude to the head of state for the high appreciation of his work, Yagub Eyyubov shared memories related to National Leader Heydar Aliyev, noting that he had always strived to live up to the trust shown to him by both the National Leader and President Ilham Aliyev. He emphasized that under the leadership of the head of state, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty had been fully restored, saying:

‘You are a genius personality who restored Azerbaijan’s lands. No one else could have done this – it seemed impossible. You are a great, highly skilled, and truly exceptional leader. That is why the entire nation and the whole world admire you and take pride in you.’

Emphasizing that being awarded the ‘Istiglal’ Order is a great honor for him, Yagub Eyyubov said: ‘I will never forget this for the rest of my life and will continue, to the best of my abilities, to serve you and our state with full dedication.’

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev concluded his state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 21.

According to Azernews, a guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani President at Astana International Airport.

President Ilham Aliyev was seen off by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Azerbaijan has lifted all restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in a joint press statement with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, Azernews reports.

‘A new era of peace has begun between Azerbaijan and Armenia,’ said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the second meeting of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan Supreme Interstate Council, Azernews reports.

‘Today marks, or I would even say, a new stage – the stage of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Reaching the initialing of a peace agreement less than two years after the last military clashes demonstrates that both countries have shown a high level of political will,’ the President stated.

President Ilham Aliyev also underscored that the role of U.S. President Donald Trump in facilitating the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia deserves the highest recognition.

On October 21, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the ‘Alem.ai’ International Artificial Intelligence Center in Astana, Azernews reports.

President Ilham Aliyev was briefed on the Center, which was established earlier this year.

The Center was created to promote innovation and the development of artificial intelligence technologies across all spheres of Kazakhstan’s public and economic life. The ‘Public Space’ operating within the Center aims to attract 10,000 talented individuals annually. It is planned to host forums on the latest achievements in artificial intelligence, expert meetings and open lectures, as well as job fairs, hackathons, and startup competitions focused on AI. The Center also features the ‘Tomorrow School,’ which provides free education in artificial intelligence without requiring prior programming knowledge, and an AI campus designed to accelerate startups. Through the advancement of cutting-edge technologies and the formation of a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Center plans to launch 100 new artificial intelligence startups annually.

The main objective of the research laboratories established here is to develop and support scientific research in artificial intelligence, promote innovation, and create advanced technologies. Ten scientific research projects are planned to be implemented annually in these laboratories.