Humanitarian relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are at the highest level, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Education Firudin Gurbanov said, speaking with the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza on the sidelines of the 10th Russia-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum, which has opened in Moscow.
"This level is reflected in intensive bilateral relations in the spheres of education, culture, youth policy and the social sphere. The friendly relations between the two countries, which are based on the centuries-old cultural traditions of our peoples, contribute to this cooperation," he said in the first place.
"The level of relations between Russia and Azerbaijan is focused on the basis of very friendly contacts between the leaders of the two countries. It is symbolic that Azerbaijan's first vice president, dear Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva, is on an official visit to Russia now. Yesterday, she met with the head of the Russian government. This, of course, reinforces relations between our countries, including in the humanitarian sphere," Firudin Gurbanov stressed.
"With regard to relations in the field of education, it is necessary to note fruitful cooperation in all areas. Azerbaijan pays great attention to the Russian language, which increases every year. Today, Russian is studied as a foreign language in more than 3000 Azerbaijani schools, about 350 schools teach only in Russian, which is more than 130 thousand schoolchildren. Every year, an olympiad is held in the Russian language, with its geography expanding annually and the number of participants increasing. All of this demonstrates the degree of importance attached by Azerbaijan to the Russian language," the Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Education pointed out.
"The same can be said about higher education: more than 70% of the specialties are taught in Russian. Two branches of leading Russian universities - Lomonosov Moscow State University and Sechenov Moscow State Medical University operate in our country. The Azerbaijan State Economic University has a brunch in Derbent. The Association of Universities of Azerbaijan and Russia was established - a platform that makes it possible to bring universities in our countries closer, which is important because at present, our education development strategy is focused on double diplomas," he said.
"In this regard, many Russian and Azerbaijani universities have already found common ground and symmetrically move towards a double diploma program in promising specialties, which are matters of interest to both parties," Firudin Gurbanov added.
The 10th Russia-Azerbaijan Interregional Forum is held in Moscow on November 22-23. The event is co-organized by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy. The forum is attended by Azerbaijani First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, the Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matvienko, Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin and Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, Russian governors and heads of executive authority of Azerbaijani cities and regions, as well as businessmen from both countries.
