"Russian-Azerbaijani relations are not in need of artificial political or ideological schemes"

Interviewed by Jamila Alekperova, Baku. Specially for "Vestnik Kavkaza."

Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and Inter-parliamentary Relations of the Azerbaijani Parliament, political scientist Rasim Musabeyov, shared with "Vestnik Kavkaza" his vision of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.

- How do you currently assess Azerbaijani-Russian relations?

- If you consider them not minutely, but in a long time interval, then during the last 10-12 years the relationship has been progressing. This is evident in the steady growth of trade, the high level and intensity of political dialogue and cooperation in the international arena, and even military-technical cooperation, not to mention the humanitarian field, in which cooperation was very good, even when relations between Baku and Moscow soured.

- Today, however, relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have become cold. What could be the reason for this?

- Indeed, in the last few months, this is visible. A similar cooling of relations between Baku and Moscow took place in the past, but that was of a temporary nature. The sides lacked the wisdom to keep the door open for a dialogue to find solutions to issues in which there is no understanding or where it is difficult to reconcile interests. Strategically, Azerbaijan is interested in good-neighborly, friendly and partnership-type relations with Russia.

- Can we assume that the reason was some external force?

- Perhaps such forces take some actions, but they cannot reverse the objective needs of history and geography, which set the imperatives for our bilateral relations. Azerbaijan and Russia are neighbors and our peoples are connected by a two-hundred-year-old history of close cooperation. Not only government officials, but also members of the public, ordinary people, express their wishes in the development of friendly and partnership relations with Russia. I do not think that in Moscow anyone seriously, consciously makes efforts to worsen relations. It's just that certain people misunderstand the position of the other side, they show irritation at the fact that their plans and proposals are not accepted as they would like. But this is a normal situation in the relations of independent states, and it is important to show patience and perseverance in finding a mutually-acceptable configuration of interests. What did Georgia and Russia - two countries, historically and culturally very close - gain from their break-up? Should we repeat this negative experience?

Some in Moscow still perceive the sovereignty of post-Soviet states as not quite complete, and they believe that with young Finland, with the Czech Republic or with Hungary they can talk on equal terms, while on the states of the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Belarus or Ukraine they can impose their own integration agenda, their own vision of international relations and their own understanding of the nature of relations. This applies to everything, from the position on Kosovo and Syria, to energy projects, initiatives to create a Eurasian Union and relations with the EU and NATO.

In Baku we realize that over the last decade Russia has emerged from a deep crisis, doubled its economic potential, largely restored its international position, and President Vladimir Putin has become an authoritative politician of international standing. It is important that Moscow is aware of the fact that, at the same time, Azerbaijan has stabilized the state, has tripled its economic potential, modernized its armed forces, strengthened its international position and the head of the country, President Ilham Aliyev, has acquired significant international experience and credibility. Azerbaijan is a self-sufficient country both energetically and financially, it keeps diverse communications with the outside world. Azerbaijan today represents more than 60% of the population, over 70% of the economy, and more than 90% of the exports and monetary reserves of the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is a growing and solvent market, including that for non-oil exports from Russia.

Current relations between Azerbaijan and Russia do not need former Soviet nostalgia for unity and artificial political and ideological schemes, and should be built as a pragmatic partnership, based on shared interests. These are quite a lot. Our countries are interested in how to avoid dangerous areas of instability closer to their borders, in how to suppress and neutralize the radical elements in the Caucasus, in peace and cooperation in the Caspian Sea, in coordination of energy policy, to ensure open contacts between the citizens...

To be continued