Russian and Azerbaijani parliaments outline cooperation program for 2016

Valekh Aleskerov, deputy head of the Azerbaijani parliament, said that members of Russia's Federation Council and the Azerbaijani had held the 13th session of the interparliamentary cooperation committee, outlined the cooperation program for 2016 and discussed a set of problems. The lawmaker noted that the cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan as equal partners was progressing well in all sectors.

Aleskerov said that he had met with Valentina Matviyenko, the chairwoman of the Federation Council, today, informed her about the work of the commission, plans for the future.

Sergey Naryshkinm, the chairman of the Russian State Duma, emphasized that Russia and Azerbaijan had no problems in bilateral interstate relations. He thanked Azerbaijani lawmakers for active participation in the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Ilyas Umakhanov, deputy head of the Federation Council, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the sides will not keep adding more issues to the current agenda and will focus on intensifying work on the outstanding ones. The key issue, in his words, is the decisions made at the interparliamentary commission headed by Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Umakhanov added that the second major issue was scientific and technical collaboration of Azerbaijan and Russia. The official noted that the countries needed to strengthen the legislative base of cooperation to motivate scientists, specialists and experts to collaborate and develop innovative projects.