Anton Bredikhin: Russia-Azerbaijan strategic ties to endure

Russia has absolutely no interest in downgrading relations with Azerbaijan and views Baku as a reliable ally and strategic partner, Research Director of the Center for Ethnic and International Studies of the Russian Federation Anton Bredikhin told Vestnik Kavkaza.

"Despite the unfolding crisis situation on both sides, Russia and Azerbaijan remain strategic partners. Neither side has renounced or withdrawn from the 2022 Declaration on Allied Cooperation, and strategic cooperation continues across all levels," the expert said in the first place.

"For this reason, the focus should now be on the fact that strategic relations exist between Russia and Azerbaijan, and regardless of current events, they will endure. In other words, it's premature to suggest that anything is fundamentally deteriorating in Russian-Azerbaijani ties," Anton Bredikhin emphasized.

The expert is confident that contacts will normalize soon due to the lack of motives for downgrading relations: Russia needs Azerbaijan as an ally in the South Caucasus region.

"An improvement in relations is quite possible after the current events. There are clear reasons for this: Russia does not want its ties with Azerbaijan to deteriorate like those with Armenia; it does not seek the level of relations with Baku that now exists between Moscow and Yerevan. Russia ultimately sees Baku as an ally that is not seeking NATO membership and is committed to the positive development of bilateral relations," he explained.

"Therefore, no radical shift in Moscow's approach to Russian-Azerbaijani relations is anticipated," Anton Bredikhin concluded.