A meeting between the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, is taking place in the Kremlin today.
The President of Azerbaijan arrived in Moscow on Monday. The meeting between Aliyev and Putin takes place against the backdrop of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh. The security situation in the region is one of the topics on the agenda of the meeting between the two countries' leaders.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are at a high level and are developing, Putin noted at the beginning of the meeting with the Azerbaijani leader.
"We have large joint projects in the economy, in cooperation and in infrastructure. In my opinion, some of them are well known to the public of our countries. Of course, we will also talk about the situation from the point of view of ensuring security in the region. There are a lot of questions here, and they are very sensitive. We are with you in the material on each of them. We are very glad to see you. Welcome!",
Putin said.
Ilham Aliyev thanked for the reception and invitation. He especially emphasized the fact that the visit takes place against the backdrop of an event in honor of the anniversary of the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM).
"Thanks for the invitation to take part in today's event dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the start of the BAM construction. In Azerbaijan, we very much appreciate the attitude towards the memory of Heydar Aliyevich that we see among the Russian leadership and the public. As you noted, Heydar Aliyevich Aliyev actively participated in the implementation of this grandiose project, which, as I remember, was called the all-Union construction project, and contributed to its implementation. Therefore, we are very pleased and honored to take part in the event",
Aliyev said.
The President of Azerbaijan added that today there would be a meeting with builders, with those who also contributed to the implementation of this global project.
"Such memorable moments in history bring our countries and peoples even closer together and contribute to the further progressive development of our relations. We are very pleased with how our relations are developing",
Aliyev said.
Ilham Aliyev noted that for more than two years Russia and Azerbaijan had been working within the framework of the "Declaration on Allied Cooperation". He expressed confidence that today's meeting would give a new impetus to the development of bilateral relations.
The Azerbaijani leader recalled that the declaration was signed in the Kremlin in February 2022. "It is the main political document that predetermines the progressive development of our relations in the future", he emphasized.
Among the topics on the agenda is the transport system.
"The North-South international transport corridor project, which unites our countries and our partners, is of global importance for the safety of cargo transportation and for stimulating trade relations between many countries",
Ilham Aliyev said.
Safety is also an important issue.
"Regional security issues are constantly on the agenda of our meetings. And we are also pleased with the way they are resolved. Russia is a fundamental country in terms of regional security, in the Caucasus and in the wider geography. A lot depends on effective interaction between our countries. We are aimed at strengthening confidence-building measures, cooperation, mutual understanding and resolving all issues in the spirit of cooperation and mutual interests",
Ilham Aliyev said.
