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Artificial intelligence took to the virtual pitch at the AWS Agentic Football Cup. Organized by AWS User Group Baku with Azercell’s support, the tournament featured 32 teams competing with AI-powered football squads they had developed.

With guidance from Amazon Web Services (AWS) mentors, participants developed virtual football squads with five AI agents each. During matches, the agents independently made tactical decisions about passing, attacking and defending. Participants analyzed match results to refine their code and strategies, while AWS mentors helped to enhance their technical solutions and explore the capabilities of cloud technologies.

The tournament brought together students, engineers and aspiring developers to exchange knowledge. By combining football with coding, the competition provided an excellent platform for participants to observe how their AI agents responded to changing match conditions. Also, they gained hands-on experience in developing agentic AI solutions and deploying them on the AWS cloud platform. Three winning teams were selected at the end of the tournament.

By supporting this initiative, Azercell invests in the development of local talent in AI and cloud technologies, contributing to the growth of Azerbaijan’s technology community and the country’s wider digital ecosystem.

Azerbaijan has continued its Great Return programme, relocating 78 families comprising 272 people to the liberated territories of Aghdam and Khojavand in line with President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions.

Some 70 families, totalling 238 people, have been resettled in Aghdam city, while another eight families, comprising 34 people, have returned to the village of Quzeyxirman in the Khojavand district.

The returning residents are former internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had been living in temporary accommodation across Azerbaijan, primarily in dormitories, sanatoriums and administrative buildings.

Upon returning to their ancestral homes, the residents expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the comprehensive state support provided to displaced families. They also paid tribute to the Azerbaijani Army and the soldiers and officers who liberated the country’s territories, honouring those who lost their lives in the struggle.

For many of the returning residents, the relocation marks the fulfilment of a dream they have cherished for more than three decades.

“Thank God, we have lived to see this day! After 30 years, we are going back to our own land, to our homeland. We prayed to God day and night to reunite us with our ancestral lands. Today, our dream is coming true,” former IDP Kamila Mammadova told local media outlets.

Mammadova said the return was especially meaningful for an 85-year-old person who had spent decades longing to see their homeland again. She added that returning to Aghdam had been her greatest wish.

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to return, she also remembered those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Azerbaijani territories and wished a speedy recovery to wounded veterans.

“May God grant our President and Mrs Mehriban good health! May God help our veterans and rest the souls of our martyrs in peace! Thanks to them, we are returning to our own homes and homeland. This was our dream. We want to live on our ancestral land and find happiness there,” Mammadova said.

The return has brought immense joy to residents who have spent 33 years waiting for the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Aghdam. After decades of displacement, former IDPs are finally able to fulfil their long-held wish to live in their native land, breathe its air and drink its water.

Elgiz Aslanov, another former IDP who has returned to Aghdam, described the relocation as one of the happiest and most memorable days of his life.

“This is the happiest and most joyful day for us. Our happiness knows no bounds. After 33 years of longing, we are returning to our homeland to settle and live there,” Aslanov said.

He added that the authorities had made the necessary arrangements for the relocation, providing transportation and other assistance to facilitate the families’ return.

Aslanov also expressed gratitude to the country’s leadership for the support extended to former IDPs, emphasising the unique emotional significance of returning to the place where one was born and raised.

“Our greatest wish was to return to our ancestral lands, breathe their air, drink their water and live in our homeland from now on. Azerbaijan is our country, but the place where a person is born and grows up is something entirely different. The joy of living on one’s native land is incomparable,” he said.

The latest relocation is part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing Great Return programme, which aims to resettle former IDPs in territories liberated from occupation and restore normal life in the affected areas. For the families arriving in Aghdam and Quzeyxirman, the move represents a long-awaited opportunity to reconnect with their roots and begin a new chapter in their ancestral homeland.

On October 29, the exhibition Land of Carpets opened at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum as part of the project Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Feel the Future NOW.

Bringing together the rich heritage of Azerbaijani carpet art and contemporary artistic approaches, the exhibition highlights the creative dialogue between tradition and innovation.

The exhibition features works by Latif Karimov, the founder of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, a distinguished scholar and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan; contemporary artists Madina and Narmin Najaf; and carpet art specialist Yashar Malfouzi.

Marking the 120th anniversary of Latif Karimov’s birth, the exhibition showcases two relief silk carpets woven for the first time based on the artist’s original designs. A contemporary interpretation of his rich artistic legacy is further explored through works by the winners of a digital art competition jointly organised by the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the HUG.art platform.

The exhibition also features new carpets woven based on paintings by Madina and Narmin Najaf. These works demonstrate the creative connection between visual art and traditional carpet weaving, highlighting the carpet’s wide-ranging potential as a medium of contemporary artistic expression.

Also on display is a relief carpet inspired by Gushlu, a 19th-century Baku carpet from the collection of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, alongside two relief carpets created by Yashar Malfouzi.

As part of Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Feel the Future NOW, the ongoing exhibition Faig Ahmed: 2011-2024 at the museum has been enriched with three new works by Faig Ahmed, Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan.

The exhibition will run until November 29.

Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller has said that natural gas prices in Europe could climb to $2,500 per 1,000 cubic metres if the region experiences an especially harsh winter.

Miller noted that Western experts’ forecast of gas prices reaching $1,200 per 1,000 cubic metres during the autumn-winter season had already materialised in October.

“Gas storage levels in Europe’s underground facilities are at historically low levels. In Germany, Europe’s largest natural gas consumer, storage facilities are currently only 61.6% full,” he emphasized.

According to Miller, limited gas reserves could push prices in Europe to peak levels of up to $2,500 per 1,000 cubic metres if the winter proves to be particularly cold.

Data from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) show that gas storage facilities across EU member states were 75% full in October, below the average level recorded over the past nine years.

Meanwhile, disruptions to liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are adding further pressure on prices.

The Azerbaijan National Library has opened its traditional book exhibition titled ‘October 30 – World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression’ for visitors.

The exhibition features books, monographs and publications in Azerbaijani and foreign languages based on archival documents. The materials explore the lives, work and imprisonment of prominent Azerbaijani figures in science, culture and the arts who fell victim to Stalinist repression in the 20th century.

The displayed materials shed light on the tragic fate of tens of thousands of intellectuals and ordinary citizens persecuted by the Soviet regime between 1920 and 1950. They also highlight the legal and moral assessment of these events in Azerbaijan since the restoration of independence.

Kyrgyzstan has begun receiving petroleum products from Azerbaijan and several other countries as part of efforts to diversify fuel imports and reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditionally dominant supplier.

Kanatbek Eshatov, President of the Association of Petroleum Product Traders of Kyrgyzstan, announced that initial fuel shipments had started arriving from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Trkiye, and China.

According to Eshatov, Kyrgyzstan is expanding its network of petroleum product suppliers to reduce the risks associated with relying heavily on a single source.

Russia has historically been the country’s primary supplier of petroleum products. However, Bishkek is now seeking to broaden its import options to strengthen the stability of domestic fuel supplies.

As part of this diversification, the first shipments of fuel from China have also begun arriving in Kyrgyzstan by rail.

Eshatov noted that the domestic diesel market remains stable, although some shortages persist in gasoline supplies.

Kyrgyzstan’s annual demand for petroleum products exceeds 1.5 million tonnes, making reliable imports an important factor in meeting domestic consumption needs.

The arrival of Azerbaijani petroleum products marks an expansion of the country’s fuel export destinations in Central Asia, while providing Kyrgyzstan with an additional source of supply.

The development also reflects Bishkek’s efforts to establish a more diversified fuel procurement system involving suppliers from the Caspian region and beyond.

However, Eshatov did not disclose the volume or value of the initial Azerbaijani shipments, nor did he specify whether additional deliveries had been agreed.

Developing relations with Georgia is one of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said during the 11th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

He noted that the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia have lived side by side for centuries in an atmosphere of friendship and good neighbourly relations.

“Over the past period, our strategic partnership has reached a qualitatively new stage. The momentum of high-level political dialogue plays a leading role in strengthening our cooperation. In this regard, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Georgia in April and your visit to Azerbaijan in May (WUF13) are of particular importance,” Asadov emphasized, addressing Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

He stressed that these visits and the agreements reached had once again reaffirmed the strategic nature of bilateral relations and provided additional momentum for expanding cooperation across various sectors.

Asadov also noted that Azerbaijan and Georgia have consistently supported each other within international organizations, particularly on issues concerning territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“Cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as always, remains one of the key areas of our partnership. We hope that construction of the new building of the Heydar Aliyev Tbilisi State Professional Azerbaijani Drama Theatre will begin in the near future.

The Azerbaijani and Georgian communities living in our respective countries play a special role in developing bilateral relations. Ensuring opportunities for education in their native languages and the operation of relevant schools contribute to further strengthening ties between our peoples,” he added.

The 13th International Congress titled ‘The Library as a Cultural Phenomenon’ is being held in Minsk on October 29-30, bringing together library professionals and experts from around the world to discuss the theme ‘The Role of Women in Culture.’

The event is organised by the Ministry of Culture of Belarus and the National Library of Belarus.

The congress programme focuses on women’s contributions to culture, science and education, current challenges in library education and library science, the development of electronic information resources and services, and the role of libraries in society and public life.

Over the two-day event, participants are taking part in plenary sessions, thematic panel discussions, roundtables, seminars and training sessions. The programme also features practical presentations on the creation of digital collections, document digitisation and preservation, alongside an exhibition of publishing products and electronic information resources.

Azerbaijan is represented at the 13th International Congress by Adiba Ismayilova, Deputy Director of the Azerbaijan National Library and Doctor of Philosophy in History.

In her presentation, titled ‘The Azerbaijan National Library: The Digital Future of National Memory,’ Ismayilova highlighted the institution’s efforts to preserve the country’s documentary heritage, expand its digital resources and improve public access to information services.

Her presentation examined the evolving role of modern national libraries, emphasising that their responsibilities extend beyond safeguarding traditional collections to include digital transformation and international information exchange.

One of the key topics was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing electronic catalogues and preparing bibliographic records. Ismayilova explained that AI tools can assist librarians in structuring bibliographic information according to relevant MARC 21 fields, identifying name variations, and selecting keywords and subject headings.

At the same time, she stressed that artificial intelligence is not intended to replace professional librarians and bibliographers. Instead, AI-generated information must be reviewed and verified by qualified specialists to ensure accuracy and reliability.

The presentation also highlighted the importance of digitising rare books, periodicals and other valuable documents to preserve Azerbaijan’s documentary heritage and make these resources more accessible for academic research and scholarly use.

Representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Slovenia, Oman, India, China, Cuba, Mali, Myanmar, Bulgaria, Indonesia and several other countries are participating in the international congress.

International credit rating agency Moody’s Ratings has said that Azerbaijani banks have sufficient capital and liquidity buffers to support an expansion of lending.

According to the rating agency, liquid assets accounted for 37.4% of Azerbaijan’s total banking assets at the end of 2025.

The corresponding figures stood at 37.5% in Kazakhstan, 35.3% in Armenia, 32.1% in Uzbekistan and 25.7% in Georgia. Azerbaijan ranked second among the five countries compared in terms of the share of liquid assets in total banking assets, narrowly trailing Kazakhstan.

Moody’s data also showed that the ratio of tangible common equity to risk-weighted assets in Azerbaijan’s banking sector stood at 19.2%.

The corresponding ratio was 20.4% in Kazakhstan, 17.9% in Armenia, 17.1% in Georgia and 13.9% in Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan again ranked second among the countries surveyed, behind Kazakhstan.

The rating agency emphasised that banking sectors across Central Asia and the Caucasus have strong buffers to absorb potential losses.

According to Moody’s assessment, existing capital and liquidity reserves across the region’s banking systems are sufficient to support further lending growth.

However, the report also highlighted structural challenges in banks’ funding profiles, noting that funding sources across the region tend to be relatively short-term and expensive.

In Azerbaijan, short-term funding accounted for 95% of total banking sector funding at the end of 2025, underscoring the sector’s reliance on shorter-maturity financing.

While strong capital and liquidity positions provide Azerbaijani banks with capacity to expand lending, the maturity and cost of their funding remain important factors influencing their ability to sustain credit growth.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov attends the 13th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Ankara, hosted by the President of the Republic of Trkiye, under the theme “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed.”

During the Summit Azerbaijan hands over the OTS Chairmanship to Trkiye.

The current state and future prospects of cooperation within the Organization, as well as regional and international developments of common interest will be discussed.

The progress achieved across the Organization’s priority areas, including political cooperation, trade and investment, transport and connectivity, energy, digital transformation, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and institutional development will be reviewed, and important documents will be adopted.