Friday morning headlines from #Azerbaijan, 12 June ● Slovak State Secretary for European Union Affairs Marek Eštok is on a visit to Azerbaijan. ● The first-ever consular consultations between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Thailand were held in Baku. The sides discussed expanding the bilateral legal framework and reviewed accumulated experience in evacuating citizens during crisis situations. ● Another round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Estonia took place in Baku. The importance of mutual visits and meetings within international platforms was particularly emphasized. The sides also welcomed the opening of Estonia’s embassy in Azerbaijan. ● Appeal proceedings have begun in the case of French citizen Martin Ryan, convicted of espionage for France and sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Azerbaijani citizen Azad Mammadli, convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 years. During the preliminary hearing, the court reviewed the arguments of the appeals, with the next hearing scheduled for June 25. According to investigators, Ryan, who served as CEO of the company Merkorama in Baku, was recruited by French foreign intelligence and used as an agent. He allegedly received assignments to collect information on weapons and ammunition produced in Azerbaijan, as well as on army mobilization during the Second Karabakh War in 2020. Prosecutors also claim he attempted to recruit military personnel, former servicemen, Azerbaijanis educated in French abroad, and foreign nationals residing in Azerbaijan. It is further alleged that Ryan arranged a meeting between Azad Mammadli and French intelligence officers in Baku, with Mammadli allegedly promised foreign citizenship in exchange for cooperation. Both men were arrested on December 4, 2023. Ryan and Mammadli denied all charges. In his final statement at trial, Ryan said he came to Azerbaijan in 2015 for business purposes and had never engaged in espionage. ● Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the verdict of a French court in the case of the attempted assassination of Azerbaijani blogger Mahammad Mirzali, who lives in exile in France. The defendant was sentenced to 30 years in prison. “The court’s decision highlights that the main objective of the attack was not only to take a life, but also to create an atmosphere of terror and fear among opponents of the regime. The court has therefore officially confirmed the political nature of the attack. Through these severe prison sentences, the French judiciary has made it clear that transnational repression by authoritarian regimes on European territory will not go unpunished,” RSF said in a statement. Mirzali is a former member of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party and a blogger. He says he has faced persecution since organizing a campaign in Azerbaijan under the slogan “Stop Soldiers’ Deaths!” According to Mirzali, before leaving the country he was detained by police and subjected to pressure, while his father was repeatedly summoned by police and threatened. Azerbaijani authorities have never commented on these allegations. Mirzali was stabbed in Nantes in 2021 and has since remained under special police protection. Another participant in the attack, Khayyam Haghverdiyev, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year. The trial reportedly took place under unprecedented security measures due to claims that the defendants had extensive links to criminal networks. According to RSF, the case is one of the most significant transnational repression trials in French history. ● The issue of Azerbaijani citizens who went missing during the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s is not only a humanitarian matter but also a question of justice and lasting peace, Presidential Assistant Hikmet Hajiyev said. In a post on X, he wrote that more than three decades after the war, 4,009 Azerbaijani citizens remain listed as missing. Following the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from Armenian occupation after the Second Karabakh War in 2020, search operations uncovered the remains of 889 individuals, 313 of whom have been identified. According to Hajiyev, a total of 32 mass graves have been discovered in the liberated territories. ● Another shipment of diesel fuel has been sent from Azerbaijan to Armenia – 17 railcars carrying 984 tons in total. Direct exports of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia began on December 18, 2025, with shipments transiting through Georgia. Prior to this delivery, Azerbaijan had already exported more than 12,000 tons of diesel fuel, 979 tons of AI-92 gasoline, and 2,955 tons of AI-95 gasoline to Armenia. ● A record number of transit flights passed through Azerbaijani airspace, with 1,062 flights handled in a single day on May 9. Overall, transit traffic has increased sharply in recent years: 47,065 flights crossed Azerbaijani airspace in 2021, compared to 261,085 in 2025. Farhan Guliyev, head of air traffic management at AZANS (Azerbaijan Air Navigation Services), attributed the increase to several factors, including the closure of Ukrainian airspace and parts of Russian airspace, airlines avoiding Russian airspace due to sanctions, and the consequences of the crisis in the Middle East. In particular, since tensions around Iran escalated, more than 60 new airlines have begun using Azerbaijani airspace, Guliyev said. “Azerbaijan has become one of the key alternative corridors. Accordingly, new air traffic management systems have been introduced and investments have been made to increase capacity,” he noted. Guliyev added that new air routes linking China, Central Asia, and India with Europe through Azerbaijan have already proven effective for carriers and will become even more important as East–West transport demand grows. “We are currently discussing the joint implementation of a new air traffic flow management system with countries along this route, which would increase the number of flights handled per hour from the current 250 to 300,” he said. ● The Press Council has called on global platform providers to open representative offices in Azerbaijan. Council Chairman Rashad Majid said this would help avoid complications related to the country’s proposed new laws “On Information, Informatization and Information Protection” and “On Protecting Children from Harmful Information.” The draft legislation would introduce restrictions on social media use by individuals under the age of 16, a measure that, according to Majid, enjoys support from the majority of society. Read more here about the provisions included in these new draft laws jam-news.net/age-limits-for-… 🔴 Every morning, a brief digest of the latest news from Azerbaijan, #Georgia, and #Armenia, here tinyurl.com/2m6dcz8d Photo: Mount Shahdag (Şahdağ), a peak of the Greater Caucasus mountain range located in Azerbaijan’s Qusar District, near the border with Russia’s Dagestan region. The summit rises 4,243 meters above sea level. Photo by Tatiana Mokhova.

I believe China is avoiding as much as possible to transfer pilots used to flying a particular type of plane to recent models. They rather train all new pilots to man these new jets, possibly due to the whole digitization and informatization of flying newer planes.

Useful exchange with Minister Samuel Migaľ and State Secretary Richard Maraček at Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization on positive bilateral relations and on the EU agenda in advance of Ireland’s EU Presidency irish-presidency.consilium.e…

On June 10, a public discussion was held on the draft Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan ‘On Information, Informatization and Protection of Information’ and ‘On the Protection of Children from Harmful Information.’” 🔗media.gov.az/usaqlarin-zerer… #MEDIA

Dr. Revathi Mannepalli, Joint Wireless Advisor, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, participated in the Joint 65th/32nd Meeting of the Board of Communications Administrations Heads of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC) and the Coordination Council of the CIS Member States on Informatization on June 5, 2026 in St. Petersburg. .The visit provided an important platform to engage with telecom administrations and leading industry stakeholders. The Consulate General of India in St. Petersburg assisted in canvassing support for India’s candidatures in upcoming ITU elections in November 2026 during the CEPT and RCC preparatory meetings. The discussions highlighted India’s growing role in shaping the future of global telecommunications and fostering international cooperation in the digital and connectivity sectors. @IndEmbMoscow @MEAIndia @PIB_India @DoT_India

👇 “Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council Li Qiang conducted research in Zhoushan City and Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, from May 25 to 27. He emphasized the need to thoroughly implement the important discourses and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on building a major country’s reserve system. Adhere to government leadership, joint societal participation, and diversified complementarity. Effectively regulate the reserves of bulk commodities and important materials, strengthen strategic safeguards, macroeconomic regulation, and emergency response capabilities. Continuously enhance the resilience of industrial and supply chains, accelerate the construction of a bulk commodity resource allocation hub, and provide reliable assurance for balancing development and security.” “Li Qiang visited the Zhoushan National Oil Reserve Base, the bulk agricultural products storage and transportation base, and the Ningbo Daxie commercial oil reserve project. He listened to reports on petroleum and grain reserves, inspected facilities such as reserve caverns, and learned about project construction and operations. Li Qiang pointed out that in the face of challenges brought by changes in the external environment, ‘having grain in hand makes the heart not panic.’ Doing a good job in reserving bulk commodities and important materials is of great significance for the stable operation of the economy and society.” “We must scientifically plan the layout, optimize the reserve structure, give full play to the role of multiple entities, vigorously promote the construction of various types of reserve facilities, accelerate the filling of shortcomings, and further expand reserve capacity. We must increase efforts in scientific research, promote innovation in reserve and management technologies, and improve the level of informatization and intelligence. We must deepen institutional and mechanism reforms, promote the coordinated operation of strategic reserves and commercial reserves, improve rotation utilization and market regulation mechanisms, and comprehensively enhance the efficiency of storage, management, and allocation.” “In Zhejiang International Bulk Commodity Trading Center, Li Qiang learned about the progress of building a bulk commodity resource allocation hub, carefully inquired about trading conditions and price indices. He emphasized the need to focus on building an integrated service platform for bulk commodities, effectively connect domestic and international markets, improve a full-category, full-chain trading service system, actively explore futures-spot linkage operations, and enhance the international influence of bulk commodity price formation mechanisms.”

Guess who did the initial wave of 'informatization' for the PLA before Huawei became competitive.

On the sidelines of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) (@WUF13Azerbaijan), we held a meeting with Samuel Migal, the Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Republic of Slovakia. Noting the steady development of bilateral relations between our countries, we exchanged views on key issues on the #economic partnership agenda, prospects for strengthening #business ties, promoting mutual #investments, and expanding cooperation in #industry, #trade, #energy, #infrastructure, and other areas. @WUF_UNHabitat #EconomyAz #WUF13 #WUF13Azerbaijan

Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization of the Slovak Republic Samuel Migaľ and First State Secretary Radomír Šalitroš are participating in World Urban Forum 13 in Baku.

In an exclusive interview with AnewZ’s Nuray Mustafa, Slovakia’s Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization Samuel Migaľ said he expects WUF13 to strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijan and Slovakia in the areas of energy, informatization, and regional development.

“Hello, Chairman Xi. I am the President of the United States, Donald Trump. It is a great honor to meet you.” “Hello, Trump. I am the President of the People's Republic of China, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, Director of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, Head of the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, Head of the Central Leading Group for Cybersecurity and Informatization, Director of the Central Finance and Economics Commission, Director of the Central Commission for the Integrated Development of Military-Civilian Integration, Chief Commander of the Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission, Standing Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chairman of the National Security Commission, Director of the Central Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform, Head of the Central National Security Leading Group, Head of the Central Leading Group for Foreign Affairs Work. In addition, I hold a graduate degree in Marxist Theory and Ideological and Political Education from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University, a doctorate in law, an honorary professorship at Nazarbayev University, an honorary doctorate in engineering from the University of Johannesburg, an honorary doctorate from Saint Petersburg State University, and an honorary doctorate from King Saud University. In my youth, I studied works such as The Federalist Papers and Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and I enjoy learning about the lives and thoughts of American statesmen like Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. I have also read works by Thoreau, Whitman, Mark Twain, and Jack London. Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea left a deep impression on me with its depictions of raging winds and storms, massive waves and small boats, the old man and the sharks.”

$PLTR Partners: Defense AI Will Determine Military Power 🦾💥🎯 The United States has built a defense AI ecosystem known as "SHARPE," led by Palantir and Anduril and including Shield AI, HawkEye 360, Rebellion Defense, and Epirus...The essence of the future battlefield is clear. It is no longer about "who has the stronger weapon" but "who analyzes more quickly and accurately and connects that to action." By Seoul Economic Daily (Commentary) The Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict deliver a common message: artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the paradigm of the battlefield across situational awareness, command and control, and weapons operations, and defense AI is determining the outcome of wars. ✔️ At the core is the fact that AI is operating in earnest as the "brain" of the battlefield. The Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) system, which the United States has applied in actual combat, allows AI to analyze data the moment a target is detected and automatically connect and execute the optimal response. In real operations, it has reached the level of striking more than 1,000 targets in sequence within 60 seconds. It is not only speed that has changed. Palantir's AI platform immediately presents response scenarios to commanders' queries, transforming the quality of operational decisions. The entire OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) of the battlefield now runs on an AI foundation. 🔥 What made this shift possible lies not in the technology itself but in the structure. The United States has built a defense AI ecosystem known as "SHARPE," led by Palantir and Anduril and including Shield AI, HawkEye 360, Rebellion Defense, and Epirus. These companies have an average history of only about 10 years, yet their corporate valuations exceed $1 billion (about 1.469 trillion won). Backed by venture investment, they are rapidly commercializing autonomous flying drones and AI-based tactical support software. The core of their competitiveness is that the military has boldly opened its data to these companies, establishing a defense AI innovation base through the private sector's technological capabilities. 💥@anduriltech, @shieldaitech, @hawkeye360, @RebellionDef, @epirus Korea has also steadily accumulated defense AI capabilities. Now, beyond merely adopting AI technology, the nation must transform the entire constitution of national defense onto an AI foundation and secure execution capacity for AI transformation (AX) in defense. To this end, data, technology infrastructure, institutions, and organizations must be innovated in an integrated manner alongside technology development. 👀 The starting point of execution is data. The military faces significant constraints on accumulating and utilizing data due to the special nature of security. To address this, AX hub centers where the military, industry, and academia conduct research and verification in one space are being established. Going further, the "data safe zone," which opens and utilizes data in a secured environment, must be upgraded and developed into a "battlefield-type testbed" that reflects actual operational environments to verify and deploy AI technology. 💯 The driving force behind defense AX is the private sector's defense AI capabilities. The "Defense AX Sprint" program is an initiative in which startups and small and medium-sized enterprises directly tackle defense challenges with their own AI technologies. A virtuous cycle must be created in which participating companies solve defense problems while securing core technologies and growing into specialized defense firms. To this end, institutional transitions that lower the threshold for civil-military cooperation are important, just as the United States has cultivated private companies as defense partners. 🛡️ The "Defense Experimentation Program," which was expanded this year, also deserves attention. It is a pathway for verifying technology early through rapid failure and learning and swiftly deploying it as military capability. To accelerate this, the program must be transformed into a permanent, combat-oriented testing system that regularizes AI and information operations experiments and rapidly absorbs the private sector's technological achievements. At the same time, defense AX must be advanced by expanding informatization capabilities such as next-generation networks, quantum, and cybersecurity. 🦾 The essence of the future battlefield is clear. It is no longer about "who has the stronger weapon" but "who analyzes more quickly and accurately and connects that to action." As AI changes the unit of war execution from minutes to seconds, the expectation is that the public and private sectors, through bold defense AX, will actively prepare for the future security environment and stand tall in the global defense AI market. 🎯 🇺🇸🛡️🌟🦾🔮🔥 en.sedaily.com/opinion/2026/…

Glad to launch a new project between @UNHABITAT & Ministry of Investments, Regional Development & Informatization of the Slovak Republic. The partnership'll establish a Ukraine Urban Support Hub in Košice to connect expertise, strengthen planning systems & support reconstruction

Morocco's General Directorate of Taxation (DGI) has modernized its tax system with an ultra-reliable and efficient #Huawei active-active data center solution, laying the foundation for ongoing innovation in tax informatization: bit.ly/3OqymyC What can other industries learn from this success to reshape their data infrastructure for intelligent industrial, digital advancement? Join the Data Storage Summit on April 29 at the Huawei Intelligent Africa Congress 2026, and discover how #Africa is advancing industrial #AllIntelligence. Learn more about the summit agenda and register here: bit.ly/4sXrCX8 #HuaweiStorage #IntelligentAfrica #DataInfrastructure

Morocco's General Directorate of Taxation (DGI) modernized its tax system with Huawei's active-active data center solution, strengthening long-term tax informatization. The Data Storage Summit on April 29 at the Huawei Intelligent Africa Congress 2026 will feature the case.

A China integrou, por meio dos planos Education Informatization 2.0 e das políticas AI Education, a educação à sua estratégia nacional de inteligência artificial para sustentar a transição tecnológica, formar força de trabalho qualificada e fortalecer a soberania do país 🧶🇨🇳

They aren't just focusing on mechanisation but informatization and intelligentization too🙄🫪🫪

Xi's 2016 speech on cyber security & informatization marked a milestone. His vision on building a strong cyber nation provides fundamental guidance for China's internet development.

Mind you, it's like that on civil services and informatization too. For all that I heard, doing the IRS obligations is a breeze compared to places like Europe and the US. The civil service per se is not that good, though...

The 28th China Expressway Informatization Congress and Technology & Product Exhibition recently took place in Fuzhou, Fujian province, attracting nearly 300 exhibitors. The event showcased the latest innovations in smart highways, with highlights including AI large models, digital infrastructure, radar sensing, and mobile-based tolling solutions across multiple themed zones. @FuzhouCity @fujiantravel @HolaFujian