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Eldar Salimov has been appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Iraq, Azernews reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree formalizing the appointment.

Under the decree, Eldar Salimov will assume his duties as Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Iraq.

United States President Donald Trump criticized on Monday his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, saying that his announcement about a nuclear-powered cruise missile test was not “appropriate”, Azernews reports.

“He ought to get the war [in Ukraine] ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,” the US president said while answering journalists’ questions on board Air Force One.

Previously, Putin spoke about the testing of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, which he described as “successful.”

He went on to say that the weapon has “no equal in the world.”

The ‘Caspian Basin Studies’ program once again served as a bridge for diplomatic exchange and regional understanding, bringing together representatives from member and observer countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Baku, Azernews reports.

Organized annually by ADA University’s Advanced Training Program, this year’s edition took place from October 18 to 26 and marked the second time the program was dedicated to the Turkic States Organization. Diplomats from Azerbaijan, Trkiye, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary, and Northern Cyprus participated in the sessions.

At the opening ceremony on October 20, ADA University’s Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Elkin Nurmammadov, and his advisor, Aygun Hajiyeva, emphasized that the program aims to familiarize diplomats with the latest regional developments, deepen their understanding of the Caspian region, and provide a comprehensive insight into Azerbaijan’s history, politics, and modern development trajectory.

Throughout the program, diplomats engaged in interactive discussions with notable figures, including Dr. Azer Babayev and other professors from ADA University, Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Center for Analysis of International Relations, Aykhan Hajizadeh, Head of the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elchin Allahverdiyev, Head of the Climate Diplomacy Department, Azer Musayev, Head of the Regional Security Department, and Ahmad Humbatov, Director of the Department of Analysis of the Economy and Energy Sector at SOCAR.

Participants also met with members of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) and exchanged views on current political, economic, and regional security issues. The final day featured a roundtable discussion with Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov and Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons Fuad Huseynov, highlighting Azerbaijan’s evolving role in regional cooperation.

The program also included cultural activities, as guests visited the Writer’s House, the Heydar Aliyev Center, the Carpet Museum, and other historical landmarks in Baku, offering them a closer look at Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage.

During the Graduation Day on October 24, twelve young and mid-ranking diplomats from eight countries were awarded certificates by Elkin Nurmammadov and Aygun Hajiyeva, marking the successful completion of the program. Participants expressed that the sessions provided them with valuable insights into Azerbaijan’s geopolitical and economic landscape, as well as opportunities to strengthen mutual understanding among Turkic nations.

Since its inception, the ‘Caspian Basin Studies’ program has hosted more than 500 diplomats from 108 countries, solidifying ADA University’s role as a regional hub for academic diplomacy and international cooperation.

Aliyannaghi Huseynov has been recalled from his post as Consul General of Azerbaijan in Tabriz, Iran, Azernews reports.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

As Armenia edges closer to its next parliamentary elections, a dangerous rift is widening between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). What began as a quiet tug-of-war over moral authority has evolved into an all-out political confrontation, the one that now threatens not only the stability of Armenia’s fragile democracy but also its prospects for peace with Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan, once seen as the only political figure trusted by a weary and disillusioned public, faces an opposition that has learned to hide behind the cross. The Church, long regarded as the moral compass of the Armenian nation, has become the new vehicle for Armenia’s nationalist and revanchist forces. The arrest of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the leader of the so-called ‘Holy Struggle’ movement, marks a turning point in this escalating conflict. His detention has emboldened the opposition and deepened the perception that Armenia’s spiritual leadership has transformed into an active political player.

At the heart of this struggle lies one of the most contentious issues in Armenia’s modern history: peace with Azerbaijan. In recent months, Pashinyan has signalled a pragmatic willingness to move towards a final peace agreement, acknowledging that Armenia cannot afford another generation of hostility. But this shift has enraged the Church and the nationalist opposition, who see any compromise with Baku as a betrayal of the nation’s honour.

The clergy accuse Pashinyan of making decisions that favour Azerbaijan rather than defending Armenian interests. They claim that peace would humiliate the country, framing reconciliation as weakness and diplomacy as surrender. Such rhetoric is not only short-sighted but also dangerously incendiary. The Church, which commands immense influence among the conservative layers of Armenian society, is fuelling a revival of revanchist thinking. The same mindset that plunged the region into conflict three decades ago.

For the Apostolic Church, peace is portrayed not as a moral imperative but as a moral failure. This inversion of ethics, turning forgiveness into capitulation, is being strategically exploited by Armenia’s opposition, which recognises that the pulpit reaches where political speeches cannot. As the election approaches, sermons and sanctuaries have become platforms for political mobilisation, rallying the public around an outdated vision of Armenia’s ‘national destiny’.

The timing could not be more critical. Armenia is due to hold parliamentary elections within six months, and most probably earlier, a constitutional referendum before a peace agreement. Beneath the surface of these political events lies a fundamental legal and moral dilemma: in order to formalise a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Armenia’s constitution must be amended to remove its territorial claims embedded in the preamble. Pashinyan’s administration understands this all too well. It knows that no lasting peace can coexist with constitutional provisions that deny Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. Yet the prime minister also knows that confronting this issue openly could provoke political suicide before the elections.

This is why the Church’s interference poses such a serious threat. By inflaming nationalist sentiment and presenting itself as the guardian of ‘Armenian dignity’, the AAC is positioning itself as the true defender of the nation’s soul against what it portrays as a weak and compromised government. But the Church has neither the political expertise nor the democratic legitimacy to govern. Its growing alliance with opposition forces is not a moral crusade but a desperate attempt to preserve its influence in a rapidly secularising society.

Armenia today stands on a knife-edge. Pashinyan’s supporters, though still significant, are weary of the constant political turbulence, yet they remain the only constituency capable of steering the country towards modernisation and peace. The alternative, a Church-backed opposition rooted in resentment and nostalgia, offers no real plan beyond perpetual defiance. The danger lies not just in political regression but in the moral corrosion of national discourse, a return to the fatalism that once justified war as destiny.

Those who rally behind the Church’s revanchist rhetoric fail to see the trap it sets. They believe that clinging to enmity will somehow restore Armenia’s strength. In truth, it will only ensure the country’s continued isolation and economic stagnation. A nation cannot build its future while worshipping the ghosts of its past. The Church’s message of resistance may stir emotion, but it offers no answers to the real challenges Armenia faces from poverty and depopulation to its deteriorating security environment.

Pashinyan’s government, for all its flaws and missteps, at least recognises that peace is not capitulation but survival. It is the only path through which Armenia can secure its sovereignty, normalise its borders, and begin rebuilding trust with its neighbours. Yet this path demands political courage and public maturity, qualities undermined by those who would rather reignite old wars than confront new realities.

What is unfolding in Armenia is not merely a political contest between government and opposition; it is a civilisational struggle between the secular state and a theocratic nostalgia. The Church, embittered by its loss of influence, seeks to reassert its dominance by draping politics in sacred robes. But the world has moved on. The Cold War myths of eternal enemies and divine frontlines have no place in the twenty-first century.

Armenia’s next election, therefore, will not just decide who governs. It will decide whether the country chooses reconciliation or resentment, progress or paralysis. The Church may win applause from the pulpit, but it cannot deliver jobs, reforms, or peace. Its political meddling risks transforming Armenia into a stage for another cycle of instability, one that could undo the fragile steps already taken towards regional normalisation.

If Pashinyan manages to hold his ground, resist the moral blackmail of the Church, and guide Armenia towards a post-conflict era, he will not only preserve his own political future but also redefine Armenia’s place in the South Caucasus. But if the revanchist forces triumph, the country risks being trapped once again in the echo chamber of its past, where faith becomes politics, and politics becomes prophecy.

The remains of 16 Azerbaijani citizens who went missing during the First Garabagh War will soon be laid to rest, according to the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, Azernews reports.

To recall, over 4,000 Azerbaijanis went missing during the First Garabagh War in the early 1990s. Most of them were captured by Armenian forces and, for a time, were able to exchange letters with their families through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Tragically, all contact with these individuals was later severed, and their fate remained unknown for decades.

Despite Azerbaijan’s repeated appeals and official requests, the Armenian side has consistently refused to provide information about the missing persons or cooperate in clarifying their fate. This lack of transparency has prolonged the suffering of thousands of Azerbaijani families still searching for closure.

Following the Second Garabagh War and the liberation of previously occupied territories, several mass graves have been discovered in areas once controlled by Armenian forces. Forensic examinations and DNA analyses have allowed the identification of dozens of missing individuals, whose remains have since been returned to their families for burial.

The identification and reburial of these 16 individuals mark another solemn yet significant step in Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to account for its missing citizens and bring long-awaited peace to their families.

The diving vessel ‘Akademik Tofig Ismayilov’, owned by the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) under AZCON Holding, has begun operations as part of the ‘Shah Deniz’ project, Azernews reports.

A cooperation agreement was signed between ASCO and BP, the project’s operator, to formalise the vessel’s participation. Under this framework, ‘Akademik Tofig Ismayilov’ will serve as a duty ship and take part in remotely controlled inspection, maintenance, and repair operations of underwater infrastructure.

Before deployment, the vessel underwent repairs at the Bibiheybat Ship Repair Plant, successfully passed class inspections, and completed sea trials for the Dynamic Positioning (DP) system. Additionally, the helipad was certified.

To support these operations, ROV/MIOG (Remotely Operated Vehicle) platforms and generator platforms were installed according to marine classification standards. The work was carried out by the Ship Repair Department of ASCO’s Zygh Ship Repair and Construction Plant.

Mutallim Mirzayev has been appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Azernews reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed a decree confirming the appointment.

Under the decree, Mutallim Mirzayev will assume his duties as Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Saudi Arabia.

As the operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field, bp continues to bring the most advanced technologies from the global oil and gas industry to the Caspian region, Azernews reports.

These efforts are aimed at enhancing production, maximizing recovery from this world-class reservoir, and extending its operational life.

In line with this commitment, bp is preparing to launch a multi-well subsea intervention campaign in the Deepwater Gunashli (DWG) area. For the first time in bp’s Caspian operations, the campaign will deploy riserless light well intervention (RLWI) technology – a subsea mechanical wireline intervention system known as the Blue Ocean Riserless Intervention System (BORIS) provided by Oceaneering International. This innovative approach will enable efficient surveillance and early identification of opportunities for pressure management and production rate enhancement, unlocking further potential in the field.

To reduce reliance on semisubmersible drilling rigs and enable earlier subsea interventions, the campaign will utilize a vessel-based intervention method – another first for the Caspian. The RLWI system will be integrated onto a vessel, from which all interventions will be conducted. Azerbaijan’s subsea construction vessel (SCV) Khankendi has been identified as the most suitable platform for this operation.

bp has already awarded two major contracts to support the safe and efficient delivery of the campaign:

A multi-million dollar RLWI contract to Oceaneering International for the provision of all RLWI services. This includes the setup, assembly, and testing of BORIS, as well as project management, engineering, systems integration, and the supply of equipment, materials and fabrication works required for BORIS’s deployment.

A multi-million dollar contract to SLB for light well intervention (LWI) services. The scope includes the provision of a wireline/slickline combination (Combo) unit to eliminate heavy lifting and simplify red zone management; a full bleed-off package with high-pressure pumping capabilities for circulation and pressure testing; multi-skilled crews as required.

Offshore operations are expected to begin later this year, with completion targeted for end of 2026.

Russell Morrice, bp’s vice president, wells, for the Azerbaijan, Georgia and Trkiye region, commented: ‘We believe the RLWI technology – and in particular, the BORIS solution for our DWG wells – will allow us to closely monitor subsea water injection wells and identify the most promising opportunities for reservoir pressure management and production enhancement. Drawing on our proven experience in similar campaigns across bp’s global operations, we look forward to benefitting from vessel-based interventions for the first time in our Caspian business. This will reduce our dependence on rig utilization and unlock early opportunities. It’s a major addition to our subsea capability, opening a new chapter in subsea well management for the Caspian region.’

The Azerbaijani musicians have mesmerized the audience at the 24th Shanghai International Arts Festival in China, Azernews reports.

The Ensemble of Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall, Baku State Chamber Orchestra under the direction of artistic director and chief conductor, Honored Artist Fuad Ibrahimov, as well as soloists People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, pianist Yegana Akhundova, and international competition laureate Nazrin Aslanli (violin), left the audience speechless with their magnificent performances.

The concert program featured masterpieces of Azerbaijani and world classical music, including works by Uzeyir Hajibayli, Gara Garayev, Fikrat Amirov, Farhad Badalbayli, Tofig Guliyev, Mozart, Benjamin Britten, Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Astor Piazzolla, and Felix Mendelssohn.

The gala concert became a true celebration of Azerbaijani music and culture, blending tradition with modernity, Eastern refinement with European classical music.

The 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF) is taking place in Shanghai from October 17 to November 27, 2025.

The event features over 1,200 performances and exhibitions across music, dance, theater, and visual arts, with participants from more than 80 countries and regions.