Azerbaijan and Dagestan confirmed good-neighborly relations in all directions

The relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are of a strategic nature,  President Ilham Aliyev said today at a meeting with the head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdulatipov, who arrived in Baku in connection with the opening of the Days of Dagestani Culture there. The Russian delegation that arrived in Azerbaijan includes the head of the Duma Committee on Nationalities, Gadzhimet Safaraliev, the MP Murad Hajiyev, the chairman of the National Assembly of Dagestan, Khizri Shihsaidov, the Deputy Prime Minister, Anatoly Caribov, the deputy head of the administration and government of Dagestan, Tamara Chinennaya, as well as the members of the Dagestani parliament, heads of ministries and departments, heads of municipalities and representatives of the creative intelligentsia of the republic.

"For us, Dagestan has been, is and will be a fraternal region, where people live, with whom we are linked by deep historical roots. This friendship plays an important role in the development of bilateral relations, which our state characterizes as strategic. There are positive developments in Dagestan, the country is developing, a stable socio-political situation has long been observed there,’’ Ilham Aliyev said.

Ramazan Abdullatipov responded by saying: "The relations between Russia and Azerbaijan were laid down by our national leaders – Heydar Aliyev and Vladimir Putin. Today you, as the national leader of modern Azerbaijan, continue these good traditions. By visiting Azerbaijan, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted the importance of Russian- Azerbaijani relations, while emphasizing the role of inter-regional relations. Standing on this basis today we develop relations with the fraternal republic. Our peoples have a thousand-year history, common roots, similar culture and traditions."

At the Azerbaijani-Russian business meeting it was stated that Azerbaijan's trade turnover with Russia is more than $2 billion, 160 million USD of which falls on the share of Dagestan. Ramazan Abdullatipov said that Dagestan is ready to give preferences to Azerbaijani businessmen, as he sees opportunities for establishing joint ventures in Dagestan. The Dagestani Government will provide the conditions for a return of 30% of investments to investors in the case of a successful development of business. In addition, from 20% to 40% of the purchased equipment’s cost will be returned to investors. According to Abdulatipov, Azerbaijan and Dagestan have the potential to increase the turnover by tens of times, and can co-operate in the fields of construction, tourism and services. The trade turnover of $160 million by the end of 2015 does not correspond to the level of the relations between Azerbaijan and Dagestan, and can be significantly increased.

In particular, today it became known that the Azerbaijani Investment Company 'Caspian Invest Group' plans to build a greenhouse complex with an area of  ​​300-700 hectares in Dagestan, as well as a joint logistics center and the Azerbaijani trading house.

Azerbaijan, the annual turnover of which amounts to no less than 30% of the foreign trade turnover of Dagestan, is traditionally considered to be the main trading partner of the republic. The ‘Green Corridor’, which allows agricultural goods to be inspected and issued through a simplified procedure, passes through the territories of Azerbaijan and Dagestan.

Speaking at the Azerbaijani-Russian business meeting in Baku, the Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev, inviting the Dagestani business community to Azerbaijan, expressed the opinion that regular mutual visits by officials and joint activities testifies to the interest in deepening mutual relations. "Azerbaijan and Dagestan are united by common historical and cultural roots. The Days of Culture of Dagestan, which are being held in Azerbaijan, will become a new stage in the development of cultural, trade and economic ties," the minister said.

On the eve of the Baku meetings, a monument to the public and political figure of Dagestan and Azerbaijan, Aziz Aliyev, has been unveiled in Makhachkala. The ceremony was attended by Ramazan Abdulatipov, Khizri Shihsaidov, the Prime Minister of the republic, Abdusamad Hamidov, Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, and the mayor of Makhachkala, Musa Musayev. Ramazan Abdulatipov noted that the construction of the monument, the initiative to establish which belongs to the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, is not only a tribute to the memory of Aziz Aliyev, but also confirmation of good-neighborly relations and friendship between the peoples of the two republics, as well as a reminder of the deep interpenetration of the historical fates of Azerbaijan and Dagestan. "Aziz Aliyev was a unique person, who treated Dagestan as a homeland and the Dagestani people as his brothers," Abdulatipov said.

"Dagestan is a bridge which unites us and strengthens our relations with the Russian people. Today's celebration will forever remain in our memory," Yagub Eyyubov stressed.

"My father has retained warm memories about Dagestan, its culture and wonderful people for his whole life. He generously shared them with us, his children, often saying: "I am grateful that fate brought me to such pure, open-hearted, multicultural and beautiful people," the son of Aziz Aliyev, the director of the Azerbaijani National Oncology Centre, academician, doctor of medical sciences Jamil Aliyev said.

 4.2 meters high, 7-tonn monument to Aziz Aliyev is located on the two-meter pedestal.  14 octagonal columns, each 5 meters in height, are around it. The monument was made in Baku from Russian granite with a matte finish, which has a higher density.