Russia committed to comprehensive development of ties with Azerbaijan - MFA

Russia is determined to comprehensively develop relations with Azerbaijan in full accordance with the Declaration on Allied Interaction, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Director of the Fourth Department for CIS Countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Kalugin spoke about Russia-Azerbaijan relations, the development of economic ties, and Russia's goal of establishing a stable peace in the South Caucasus.

He highlighted the importance of the meeting between the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan in Dushanbe, assuring that Russia is committed to advancing relations with Azerbaijan.

"The meeting of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe on October 9 this year gave a powerful positive impulse to our relations. We are committed to developing them comprehensively, in full accordance with the Declaration on Allied Interaction between Russia and Azerbaijan, signed in Moscow on February 22, 2022," Mikhail Kalugin said.

The diplomat continued, stating that positive momentum is observed in Russia-Azerbaijan economic cooperation. Last year, mutual trade turnover grew by 7.7% to $4.4 billion, and this year it will increase further - with an expected level of $5 billion.

He recalled that the 23rd meeting of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation held in Astrakhan outlined promising areas for work.

However, Russian-Azerbaijani ties in the cultural and humanitarian sphere currently lag behind economic interaction. Kalugin reported there is a focus on rectifying this situation as soon as possible.

He also indicated the critical importance for Russia of stability in the South Caucasus.

"Russia’s interests in the South Caucasus are unwavering. Our main concern there is to maintain a zone of stability and prosperity so that we can cooperate with the countries of the region, unlock its potential, and strengthen good-neighborly relations," Mikhail Kalugin said.

According to the diplomat, peace and development in the Caucasus are a fundamental interest of Russia.

"I emphasize, Russia is not merely a neighboring country for the South Caucasus, but a Caucasian power itself. We are united with the peoples on the southern side of the Caucasus mountain range by centuries of friendship, shared glorious chapters of history, civilizational affinity, and millions of familial and kinship ties. For a long time, we lived as part of a single state," Mikhail Kalugin said.

He added that rapprochement with Russia in its time allowed the peoples of the Caucasus to preserve their identity, and during the USSR, the foundations of statehood for the South Caucasus republics were formed.

"I am absolutely convinced that our unique relations are not subject to time or external pressure," Mikhail Kalugin said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry representative also touched upon the issue of normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan.

"As for the trilateral format of cooperation in the South Caucasus, Russia's position is well-known and has not changed. We continue to assist in establishing a lasting peace between Baku and Yerevan based on the trilateral high-level agreements of 2020-2022. The leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia agreed on a 'roadmap' for all key areas," Mikhail Kalugin said.

He listed that the roadmap includes a number of interconnected tracks, such as drafting a peace treaty, unblocking transport and economic links, the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and the development of public dialogue between the two states.

"oday, Baku and Yerevan are conducting mainly direct dialogue without mediators. The foreign ministers of the two republics have initialed the text of an agreement on establishing peace and interstate relations. Considering the contribution of the Russian side, and personally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the process of normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, we would be pleased to host our partners on our platform for the signing of the final document," Mikhail Kalugin said.