Today the studio of Vestnik Kavkaza was visited by the representative of the executive body of the Republic of Mari El, the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev. During the conversation, he answered various questions from readers on various aspects of Russian foreign policy.
In particular, the senator commented on the participation of President Ilham Aliyev at the recent G20 summit in Antalya.
First of all, Kosachev noted the importance of this format to address various global issues. "I believe that the format of the 'Twenty' is interesting, because completely different countries gather there. Why is the G7 disappearing before our eyes, which was the G8 until recently? Because it had a chance of a future life only with Russia. When Russia was artificially separated from there, only a club of the interests of seven states was left. It definitely does not represent the world, does not represent the diversity of interests, diversity of approaches, diversity of points of view that the 'Twenty' represents. And I think that the 'Twenty' may also change its composition, its format, change its structure by inviting more and more new members who share this philosophy of a diverse and multipolar world. And I welcome the appearance of such participants as Azerbaijan in this format," he said.
"I deeply respect the current president of Azerbaijan. I think he is doing a lot, not only for his country but also for the development of bilateral relations with Russia. As the head of the Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo, in previous years I had the opportunity to compare the attitude of the former Soviet republics to the Russian language, language policy, relevant educational programs, and I can honestly say that Azerbaijan, in this sense, stands out for better, not for worse. It's great that there, in Azerbaijan, they understand that the Russian language is not a threat but an additional competitive advantage for the citizens, for the population of the country, which is expanding their opportunities. This is a very wise and far-sighted policy," the senator noted.
"I can give other examples. And it seems to me that we and Azerbaijan, in fact, in many ways are associates and allies in understanding how the world should work. Yes, there are some tensions and contradictions on bilateral tracks, but there is an understanding that the world will be stable only if it is based on all the existing national interests and not the individual interests of a single group of countries, the 'Seven', for example. So yes, I am sincerely glad that President Aliyev participated in this summit," Konstantin Kosachev concluded.
He also added that "Azerbaijan has a very interesting point of view on the fate of Syria and the fight against terrorism, which must be heard by the international community."
