Over the years of independence, Azerbaijan became one of the countries with which Russia has managed to preserve fraternal relations, the advisor to the deputy chairman of the Federation Council, deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Andrey Baklanov, said to Vestnik Kavkaza.
Ahead of the 98th anniversary of the proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia (May 26 is Georgia's independence day, May 28 is Azerbaijani Republic Day, May 28th is Armenian Republic Day ) Vestnik Kavkaza is publishing a series of interviews with Russian politicians, economists and cultural figures about links between Russia and these countries. Our first guest is a diplomat Andrey Baklanov.
First and foremost, he stressed an equitable nature of relations between the two parts of the once-united states. "Today, Azerbaijan has all the attributes of independence, and the positive context of our relations, which has been preserved from the Soviet era, is implemented in a different way, a way of equal interstate relations and interaction. It is good for us and for Azerbaijan, as well as it's a good example for all other countries, which were part of the Soviet Union," the advisor to the deputy chairman of the Federation Council pointed.
The Russian-Azerbaijani contacts can be praised for a number of reasons. "There are objective and subjective reasons for the fact that we managed to preserve the fraternal relations with Azerbaijan. For example, the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is a graduate of Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO); and the first International forum of MGIMO graduates was held in Baku in 2013, which was attended by many influential political figures from different countries, former graduates of the institute. And this is just one illustration of our relations, which are aimed at preserving the ideological, cultural, educational and overall humanitarian space. It's not just words, it's a reality," Andrey Baklanov stressed.
One of the fundamentals that will help to preserve this unity is to maintain quality Russian language teaching in Azerbaijan. "At an invitation of the Azerbaijani side, I took part in a very interesting ceremony dedicated to the release of the first collection of poems by Azerbaijani President's daughter, the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva. The event took place at the Moscow House of Books. Leyla Aliyeva wrote her first collection of poems in Russian. Leila explained that she is equally fluent in both languages, but at the moment it is easier for her to write poetry in Russian. This example shows how closely interconnected our cultural space is," the diplomat pointed out.
Relations between the two countries are not only positive, but also intense. "Just look at this year's events. The Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev held talks with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade in Baku. The Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov visited Moscow this year and our Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov visited Baku in April. This shows that we have very close relations. This is a very valuable thing," Andrey Baklanov noted.
The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats also noted the Azerbaijani embassy's work. "The fact that Polad Bulbuloglu is the ambassador to Russia is of great importance, because he has a great authority, everyone trusts him. He is like a bridge between our countries, peoples and cultures. We manage to reach that positive level of interaction, of which I speak, largely due to his personal contribution as a diplomat and a politician," the advisor to the deputy chairman of the Federation Council believes.
