Latest news with #Ilham Aliyev
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Azerbaijan to file international lawsuits against Russia over Aktau plane crash, president says
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced that his country is preparing to file lawsuits in international courts against Russia regarding the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 plane crash near Aktau on 25 December last year. The plane was en route from Baku to Grozny, and crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, killing 38 people. Aliyev said on Saturday that even though the circumstances of the incident are "as clear as day", Azerbaijan has received no meaningful response from Russia, seven months after the crash. Aliyev claimed that Azerbaijan has a clear understanding of what happened to the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane, "we know what happened, and we can prove it. And we know that Russian officials know what happened," Aliyev said speaking to media at a press event moderated by Jane Witherspoon, Euronews Bureau Chief in the Middle East. "The question is: why do they not do what any neighbour would do? Our requests or demands are absolutely natural: Admit that this accident was their fault," he remarked. Aliyev noted that the Azerbaijani prosecutor general has sent requests to the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, and has thus far only been informed that "the investigation is ongoing." He described this stance as counterproductive and reaffirmed Baku's intention to seek international justice. Azerbaijan has therefore informed Russia of its preparation of a dossier for a corresponding lawsuit, said Aliyev. Referring to the investigation into the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash, which claimed 239 victims in 2014 and whose subsequent inquiry has lasted over a decade, he said "We are ready to wait ten years, but justice must win. And unfortunately, the situation, which is currently in limbo, does not contribute to the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan." Aliyev lays out Azerbaijan's demands Azerbaijan's demands, according to Aliyev, are a guilty plea from Russia, prosecution of those responsible for downing the plane, payment of compensation to the families of the victims and compensation for damages suffered by AZAL. On 4 February, a preliminary official report released by the Azerbaijani government showed that the plane had indeed been shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system. Azerbaijani government sources exclusively confirmed to Euronews as early as 26 December that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the plane to crash. Aliyev's statement comes just hours after he reiterated Baku's unwavering support to Ukraine. "Azerbaijan unequivocally supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internationally recognised borders," the Azerbaijani leader said in a statement as reported by local media. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria discuss energy cooperation as they rebuild ties
The leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria on Saturday pledged to deepen their cooperation particularly in the energy sector, as they moved to revitalize the ties that had been strained under former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that the visit to Baku by Syria's interim Ahmad Al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces toppled Assad in December, would 'significantly contribute to the development of bilateral relations.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
