Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at a meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Baku, February 27, 2023
27 February 2023 20:59
359-27-02-2023
Mr Aliyev,
First of all, I would like to convey the warmest greetings and friendly wishes from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. He personally devotes close attention to developing our allied interaction.
We are marking the first anniversary of the Declaration on Allied Interaction between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan, which was signed during your visit to the Russian Federation in 2022. Certainly, this Declaration formalised the current level of bilateral relations and charted ways to advance our interaction to a new level. Practical cooperation continues to develop effectively and actively. This includes your regular contacts with President Vladimir Putin, and contacts between our countries' prime ministers and ministers. My colleague, Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, and I maintain close contacts both in person and via videoconference.
Certainly, bilateral trade is a highlight of our economic cooperation and has hit an all-time high. In your discussions with President Vladimir Putin, you noted that several mega-projects were underway, and that these projects would have bilateral, regional and even global significance. Many of our and your partners show interest in these projects. This shows that interaction in this region, with the proactive involvement of Russia and Azerbaijan, is highly promising.
We are interested in developing cultural ties. We have a lot of memorable dates to celebrate. In 2022, we marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. This year marks the first anniversary of signing the Declaration on Allied Interaction, as well as the 100th birth anniversary of Heydar Aliyev. Together with our Azerbaijani friends, we are planning an entire series of events. I am convinced that these events will once again emphasise the fact that Russian and Azerbaijani citizens have a special sympathy for each other, and that they are interested in history and its pages that are still alive in the memory and these help maintain friendly, family-level and kindred relations between our countries.
I agree with you that the scale of resumed individual trips once again emphasises a striving towards cultural, humanitarian and educational ties. We appreciate your personal attention and the attention of your Government towards supporting the Russian language and creating favourable conditions enabling all Azerbaijani citizens to exercise their right to speak Russian, to work with this language and to provide their children with this opportunity.
Certainly, regional security remains a topical issue of our bilateral relations and also of multilateral relations. Many of our international colleagues, including those located far away from this region, are very interested in facilitating a peace settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said, we welcome all efforts aiming to stabilise the situation and to create favourable conditions allowing the countries in this region to cooperate in the interests of their states and on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.
I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity to be meet with you. I am convinced that this visit will help us make headway in the areas that you have charted together with President Vladimir Putin.
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