By Vestnik Kavkaza
Considering the situation in the South Caucasus and the necessity of fighting against international terrorism, border cooperation plays an important role in Russian-Azerbaijani relations.
January 25, 2002, the governments signed the Agreement on Border Guard Activities. Cooperation between border services of the two states is provided, according to an annual plan of joint activity.
October 26, 2006, Baku hosted the session of the working group “On Prevention of Illegal Trafficking in Weapons, Explosives, and Radioactive Materials” at the International Conference on Border Affairs.
April 6-7, 2006, the 11th round of talks on delimitation and demarcation of the state border took place in Derbent. 305 km (90%) of the border between the two states were agreed and registered by working protocols, map and descriptive documents.
March 27-28, 2007, the 12th joint session of state commissions on delimitation and demarcation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia took place in Baku. The discussion concerned three disagreed parts of the border between Russia and Azerbaijan. The co-chairman of the State Commission from Azerbaijan, the deputy foreign minister Kh.Khalafov, commenting the results of the session, said: “Even though some details remained disagreed upon, we saw a certain approach of the positions. The work will continue. Apparently, the next meeting will take place in Russia. Ahead of the meeting, an expert group will conduct consultations on relevant issues.”
July 28-29, 2007, In Balaken the working group, which included Azeri and Russian experts, discussed the delimitation of the disagreed parts of the state border between Azerbaijan, Russia, and Georgia. The report about the studies was included into agenda of the 14th joint session of the state commissions on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia, which took place in Baku.
December 19-20, 2007, Baku hosted the 14th joint session of the state commissions on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia. The working group which was established for development of agreed suggestions on the estimation of conditions of the bridge across the Samur River on the territory of the guarding point Samur (Azerbaijan) – Yarag-Gazmalar (Russia) included employees of the EMERCOM, the State Committee on Land and Mapping, Melioration and Water Services OJSC, the Ministry of Transport, and Azerjolservice OJSC.
January 29-30, 2008, Moscow held the 15th joint session of the state commissions on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia. The talks on the disagreed parts were continued. The positions approached on all three parts of the border. One of them was partially agreed at the 14th session in Baku. It was decided to continue the discussion of two other parts. A draft of the Agreement on Border between the Russian Federation and the Azerbaijani Republic was considered at the meeting.
May 14-15, 2008, Baku hosted the session of the joint working group which was established for the estimation of conditions and operating rules of the bridge across the Samur River on the territory of the guarding point Samur (Azerbaijan) – Yarag-Gazmalar (Russia). The working group visited the Samur bridge on May 15th.
July 22, 2008, the chairman of the Russian government Vladimir Putin appointed the senior aide of the Foreign Ministry Vadim Postanov a new chairman of the commission on delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Russia.
April 15-16, 2010, the next round of talks on delimitation of the state border and water resources of the transboundary Samur River between Azerbaijan and Russia was held in the Khachmaz district. The sides agreed drafts of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Delimitation of the State Border and the Agreement on Preservation and Rational Usage of Water Resources of the Samur River.
November 16, 2011, the special envoy of Russian President on delimitation of demarcation of the state border of the Russian Federation with neighboring CIS countries, the special ambassador of the Foreign Ministry of Russia, A.Golovin visited Baku and conducted consultations on the Caspian topic with the deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan Kh. Khalafov.
To be continued
