The situation in the non-oil sector, an alternative view on changes in the state budget, and problems with loans under state guarantees are the leading topics of today's press.
The newspaper Azerbaijan writes about the need for strict observance of safety rules in cotton fields. According to the Minister of Agriculture Inam Kerimov, poisoning of people on the plantations could occur for two reasons: poor-quality chemicals or their misuse.
Ensuring field safety rules is the responsibility of farmers and private farms engaged in cotton growing.
The website Musavat.com writes about how the state spends foreign loans. The expert Rashad Hasanov believes that 60% of foreign loans are spent on infrastructure projects (roads, railways, creation of new energy capacities, water supply, and energy supply). 3-4% of this money goes to the economy, agriculture and land reclamation.
As of January 1, 2018, the country's foreign debt amounted to 9 billion 398.3 million dollars.
In Azerbaijan, most state-guaranteed loans are received by government agencies for infrastructure projects. However, in the majority of cases, state institutions cannot repay loans. There are also inefficient costs, such as the Baku-Guba road.
The website Azadliq.info writes that illegal financial assistance to SOCAR at the expense of the state budget continues. The economist Rovshan Agayev speaks about allocation of new budgetary funds to this structure in connection with growth of profit from oil after the increase in its price. About AZN 2 bn will be spent on support of SOCAR.
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The COP29 conference concluded in Baku, leaving behind a trail of controversy and criticism. Renowned historian Jamil Hasanli characterized the event as a vivid reflection of governance problems in Azerbaijan under President Ilham Aliyev. Hasanli, a staunch critic of the administration, described COP29 as an expensive spectacle that exposed systemic failures and intensified international scrutiny of Azerbaijan's political and economic structures.
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President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has invited Azerbaijani economist and political prisoner Professor Gubad Ibadoglu to Strasbourg to attend the 2024 Sakharov Prize award ceremony. The invitation, delivered by Member of the European Parliament Michael Bloss at the COP29 climate conference, comes as Ibadoglu remains under house arrest and prohibited from leaving Azerbaijan.
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An operation at Istanbul Airport has revealed an incident that could strain diplomatic relations. Kahraman Shamil oglu Mammadov, alleged to be an Azerbaijani military attaché, was caught with 70 kilograms of gold. According to Turkish media, Despite Mammadov's claims that he is a diplomat, it is believed that the incident is related to gold smuggling.
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On a brisk November evening, the residents of Baku gathered along the waterfront of the Caspian Sea, stunned by what appeared to be the washed-up body of a colossal whale. At 16 meters long, the creature’s seemingly lifeless form and pungent odor left many convinced they were witnessing an ecological tragedy. By that night, however, the mysterious visitor had departed, loaded onto a cargo platform and whisked away to the airport.
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