Russia and Azerbaijan agree to preserve memory of Great Patriotic War

Russian and Azerbaijani MPs held a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation to discuss the preservation of historical memory of the Great Patriotic War.

The 23rd meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission for Cooperation between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the National Assembly (Milli Majlis) of Azerbaijan was held in Moscow. The agenda included preserving the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and developing cooperation in the energy sector.

The meeting was chaired by First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Yatskin and First Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis Ali Ahmadov.

Andrey Yatskin conveyed greetings to the participants from Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko.

He also spoke about the broad potential of inter-parliamentary dialogue, which enables legislative support for Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation.

"Contacts between Russian and Azerbaijani legislators are regular. MPs interact both on multilateral platforms and during election observation missions," Andrey Yatskin said.

The lawmaker noted that the Commission's meeting was organized at the close of 2025, which was declared in the CIS as the "Year of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War - the Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight Against Nazism."

"In both our countries, we sacredly honor the memory of those who, during the difficult war years, rose to defend their homeland and defeated fascism, as well as those who forged the Victory on the home front," Andrey Yatskin said.

The senator emphasized that Moscow and Baku are jointly fighting to preserve historical memory and against its falsification. The authorities of Russia and Azerbaijan resolutely condemn attempts to rewrite history and distort the truth about the Great Patriotic War.

During the event, the parties also reviewed cooperation in energy. According to Yatskin, previously launched projects lay a reliable foundation for developing interaction in the sector. He is confident that their implementation will provide a significant impetus for the development of interregional ties.

In his speech, Ali Ahmadov recalled that Russia and Azerbaijan are connected by long-standing relations of friendship and cooperation. The politician highlighted the great importance of further developing inter-parliamentary ties, which help advance Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation across a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

"The Azerbaijani people made a worthy contribution to the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War," Ali Ahmadov said.

He reminded that nearly 700,000 residents of the Republic went to the front, more than half of whom did not return home. Furthermore, 130 Azerbaijanis were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Culture Polad Bulbuloghlu supported Russia's call to preserve historical memory.

"The younger generation already knows less about the war, therefore new methods of promotion - in the good sense - are needed so that the heroism of the peoples is not forgotten," Polad Bulbuloghlu said.

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin noted the successful development of bilateral cooperation in trade and economic spheres.

First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy Ivan Abramov said cooperation between Moscow and Baku remains a strategic foundation for stability in the region.

"In recent years, we have achieved significant success based on intergovernmental agreements and see good prospects for the future," Ivan Abramov said.

The Commission meeting was attended by Russian senators Ilyas Umakhanov, Galina Karelova, Vladimir Gorodetsky and Yevgeniya Lamonova; Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Roman Marshavin, head of the National Center for Historical Memory under the Russian President Elena Malysheva, as well as Azerbaijani MPs.