President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the 80th United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, he highlighted Azerbaijan's evolving role as a regional force in transportation, digital transformation and energy security.
In his speech, he thanked President Donald Trump for his support to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
He also highlighted Azerbaijan's growing influence in the caucasus region as an international transport and logistics hub and as a leader in digital transformation.
"90% growth in cargo volumes through the middle corridor since 2022 with transit times greatly reduced"
"Azerbaijan leads digital transformation initiative through ambitious projects like 'Digital silkway', which includes plans for advanced fibre optic cable network under the Caspian sea..."
President Aliyev mentioned his country's role in Energy security globally adding that it was a crucial ingridient for peace.
He also mentioned in addition to this that the country's economy was on an upward trajectory.
"Our external debt is only 6.5 percent of GDP, which is one of the lowest indicators in the world. Azerbaijan's foreign exchange reserves are approximately 16 times higher than our external debt"
Poverty and unemployment have reduced to under five percent" he said, highlighing the Caucasus country's economical prowess.
Azerbaijan and Armenia though neighbours have been embroiled in territorial disputes since three decades ago.
The peace process signed in Washington by President Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan in August, grants the U.S. exclusive developmental rights to a transport corridor, which will be dubbed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
GEORGIA
Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili has reiterated that they are open to any dialogue as tensions grow between Tbilisi and Brussels ahead of 4th October.
President Mikheil Kavelashvili of Georgia addressed the United Nations assembly on Thursday highlighting continued support for the UN on the global stage and called on it to maintain international order
Kavelasvili expressed solidarity for the people of Ukraine, citing the 2008 Russo-Georgian war.
“Drawing on the bitter experience of the 2008 War, whose wounds have not yet healed for the Georgian people, we understand better than many the pain that the Ukrainian nation endures today.
Now, as before, Georgia expresses its firm and unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.” he said.
He hailed President Donald Trump’s peace initiative between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as his efforts to end the Russia and Ukraine war.
Kavelasvili expressed a need to deepen cooperation with major economies like the U.S., China and the EU stressing that Georgia “is open to any dialogue”.
This comes against the backdrop of mounting tensions with the European Union ahead of the October 4 elections.
YEMEN
Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi has called on the United Nations to 'prove to its members that international law is not a myth', in reference to the situation in both his country and in Gaza.
In his address, Al-Alimi echoed the Palestinian President saying, “The Palestinian cause lies at the heart of this issue as a wound that continues to bleed and the central cause of the Arab people.”
“We are here today not simply to speak of the epic confrontation of the Yemeni people against the violent and the most violent and arrogant of terrorist organisations,” al-Alimi said, referring to the Houthis.
“Yemen today is not simply a domestic crisis. Rather, it is a test of the credibility of the international organisation,” he said.
He added that people in Yemen “are living one of the greatest humanitarian crises, facing security threats that transcend our borders and spread to the region and the entire world”.
He condemned the actions of what he called 'Iran backed' Houthis and accused them of being armed with internationally banned weapons. Iran has denied arming the Houthis.
"The Yemeni economy has been facing complex challenges for years, but the Houthi terrorist attacks on oil facilities have deepened the financial crisis in an unprecedented manner, depriving the Yemeni people and their government of the main revenues directed to paying salaries and providing services.
The economic war waged by the militias is part of a broader hostile strategy aimed at weakening the government’s ability to provide basic services and pay public sector salaries, which further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis for more than 14 million Yemenis." he said.
The Yemeni government have battled militants from the Houthi group since 2014.
PALESTINE
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine addressed the UNGA on Thursday, condemning the actions of Hamas and expressing gratitude for global support so far.
Abbas who gave his address via video link began by expresing gratitude to countries who have recognized the state of Palestine and urged other countries to do the same. He also said that Palestine was in the process of obtaining full membership of the United Nations.
Speaking on the Thanked all brotherly states who have been sending in aides to Gaza and those who protested in support of Palestinian interest while rejecting the idea that solidarity with the Palestinian cause amounts to anti-semitism.
“Despite all what our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on the seventh of October,” Abbas has said during his address.
He said the targeting of Israeli citizens and hostage-taking does “not represent the Palestinian people, nor do they represent their just struggle for freedom and independence.
“We have affirmed, and we will continue to affirm, that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the state of Palestine, and that we are ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security there.”
Abbas insisted that “Hamas will not have a role to play in governance,” saying that Hamas and other factions will have to hand over their weapons as part of the state-building process.
He listed what he termed the position of the Palestinian Authority as follows:
In his cosing remarks, he encouraged all Palestinians at home and those scattered abroad that "The dawn of freedom will emerge and the flag of Palestine will fly high in the skies.
Jerusalem is our eternal capital; we will not leave our lands" He said.
MONTENEGRO
President Jakov Milatović of Montenegro has called for a ceasefire in Israel's war in Gaza. He decried what he called the "unfolding humanitarian crises in Gaza".
At the same time, he condemned the october 7 actions of Hamas while also demanding the release of all hostages still held by the group.
He called on the UN to be more agile in the future saying that it must maintain international rule of law over force.
Milatović also called on the UN to maintain its 3 key pillars namely peace and security, sustainable development and Human rights in order to increase trust in the institution's capability.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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