Ilyas Umakhanov: cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is good for our people

After the last parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, the relations between the republic and Russia will develop in a positive manner, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, the representative of the executive body of the Republic of Dagestan, Ilyas Umakhanov, said in an exclusive interview for Vestnik Kavkaza. Ilyas Magomed-Salamovich was one of the observers at the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan on November 1st and told how these elections were held.

In the first place, he noted the qualitatively new organization of the elections in Azerbaijan. "We used the most advanced technology such as web cameras, transparent ballot boxes and the ability to accommodate a sufficient number of observers. I visited 15 sites in the morning and all of them were in very spacious premises," the senator said.

"Despite the fact that the weather was cold and windy, people went to the polls in a good mood. Our colleagues who took part in the monitoring in rural areas confirmed this information. The people's activity in Baku was lower, but 55% is quite a good result, which shows that no one cheated and that people had every right to free expression in respect of one or other candidates," Ilyas Umakhanov stressed.

According to him, there were no significant violations during the elections. "Of course, some individual violations may have occurred, but by the time we finished our work, there were no gross violations which could cast doubt on the election results. I think that on the one hand, it is connected with very good preparations for the elections, on the other hand, with the great success and positive shifts in the socio-economic life of the Azerbaijani people. Therefore, people visit the polling stations in a good mood," the Russian politician believes.

The senator expressed his confidence that there will be a strengthening of Russian-Azerbaijani relations. "Russia and Azerbaijan are tied by centuries of friendly relations and cooperation. Recent decisions show that we have active cooperation in the economic sphere. There are good examples of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere: the recent opening of the Baku branch of the Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, the work of the Baku branch of Moscow State Lomonosov University, preservation of the Russian language in the country and vice versa," Ilyas Umakhanov said.

In this regard, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council told about his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, where, besides the elections, he discussed Russian-Azerbaijani relations, including the Forum of Azerbaijani Youth Association of Russia. "The president said that there are two main objectives: on the one hand, to properly represent the republic, on the other hand, to help Azerbaijani youth to adapt to Russian conditions. When such organizations appear in Russia, it is very important help for the work in the regions," the senator concluded.