TODAY.AZ / Politics

Baku committed to keep effective, successful ties with Moscow

03 September 2015 [15:51] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

The recent unplanned and unexpected visit of Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, to Baku withheld many important milestones, but experts believe that it is an indicator of high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.

With quite close details to the public, the agenda of discussions with Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov was expected to encompass bilateral cooperation, regional issues, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and economic matters.

Lavrov also had the audience of President Ilham Aliyev, which highlighted the importance that Azerbaijan gives to the strategic relations between the two countries.

Recalling the active and successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia within the framework of international organizations, President Aliyev noted the importance of regular consultations held between the two countries at present, when events in the world and the region are rapidly developing.

“This is the best indicator of the strategic partnership between our countries, which already covers almost all spheres of our life, including cooperation in the political, economic, energy and humanitarian spheres. We are committed to continuing the effective and successful development of our bilateral relations,” the president said.

Furthermore, noting the dynamic and successful development of bilateral relations, President Aliyev said Azerbaijan highly appreciates the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Azerbaijan to attend the opening ceremony of the first European Games during a Russian national holiday – the Day of Russia – and regarded it as proof of high-level relations between the two countries.

Experts believe that Lavrov’s visit will yield productive results in terms of enhancing the Moscow-Baku ties.

During the meeting with President Aliyev, Lavrov reiterated that the relations with Azerbaijan are on a rising trend, noting that the positions of Moscow and Baku coincide on all strategic issues of international relations.

In spite of the changing geopolitical realities, Azerbaijan continues to cooperate with Russia on the Caspian Sea, as well as humanitarian and security issues.

“Azerbaijan and Russia are strategic partners in the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea basin, and in general, we have very close positions on all important and acute problems of international relations,” Lavrov said.

He noted that the Russian side appreciates the importance of discussions between the foreign ministries of the two countries within the framework of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, and other international organizations, adding that inter-parliamentary cooperation is also developing successfully.

Some experts believe that the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was one of the main issues of discussion on the agenda of Sergei Lavrov’s Baku visit.

During a meeting with Azerbaijani president, the Russian minister expressed hope for some progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Experts consider that Russia seeks to play a key role in resolving the conflict, which emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Russian officials have, in the past, called for an intensification of negotiations in resolving the long-standing conflict. Lavrov, himself, said earlier that the time had come for settlement.

Russia is a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, engaged in a peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict that has destabilized the region for two decades.

Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group have been largely fruitless so far despite the efforts of the Minsk co-chairs over the past 20 years.

Experts consider that Lavrov's visit, and the position to be demonstrated by Russia on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, could have a great role in the liberation of Azerbaijani territories from Armenian occupation.

Lavrov also expressed hope for Azerbaijan’s participation in exhibiting its military-technical products in the Sverdlovsk region in September.

Stressing the successful development of bilateral relations in the humanitarian sphere, including in the fields of education and culture, Lavrov noted that such cooperation further enhances the close relationship between the two nations.

The Russian minister also touched upon issues of economic cooperation, noting that despite the international situation, these relationships are on the rise.

He emphasized the importance of the intergovernmental state commission on economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia in this regard.

Praising the growth of the supply of Azerbaijani agricultural products to Russia, Lavrov welcomed the decision taken by the Azerbaijani side to increase international cargo transportation using Russian transport companies.

In the meantime, he said that Denis Manturov, the Russian industry and trade minister will visit Azerbaijan in near future.

Russia is the main trading partner of Azerbaijan in the CIS. It also ranks first among the countries importing from Azerbaijan.

Currently, there are 570 companies in Azerbaijan operating with Russian capital. Russia has recently invested $628.4 million in Azerbaijan's fixed capital. Azerbaijan's investment in the Russian economy for 10 years, however, amounted to nearly $1 billion.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/143406.html

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