Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev meld a meeting in Beijing today.
The President of Russia noted that they meet frequently, and have the "opportunity to not only exchange opinions and compare notes, but also to adjust our joint work." "Generally, I believe it is going rather well," the Kremlin press service cited him as saying.
"We enjoy good trade and economic ties. We even created, I would say, on your initiative, a special interaction mechanism in trade and the economy," Putin told Ilham Aliyev. "I believe this initiative is developing," the Russian head of state noted.
He also said that the trade between Russia and Azerbaijan was up by almost 14% last year to $2.5 billion. "We also have a lot in common concerning international affairs," the Russian leader noted.
"We agreed to hold another Russian-Azerbaijani-Iranian summit in Russia in August," Putin said.
Ilham Aliyev, in turn, noted that such meetings give a serious boost to bilateral relations. "We meet regularly and, of course, we resolve critical issues of cooperation and interaction in all spheres," he stressed.
"We are very satisfied with our ties. They cover all fields. An active political dialogue is underway. Our trade is expanding," the Azerbaijani president noted.
"There is a special mechanism for promoting specific projects. Our business circles are very interested in working together. Of course, transport and logistics are an important sphere of cooperation. We have a good track record when it comes to this, as well as in energy, agriculture and cultural exchanges," Ilham Aliyev pointed out.
"I think that the current level of our relations allows us to resolve many bilateral and regional matters. Therefore, I am confident that this meeting will give a good boost to our future ties, which are based on friendship, neighborliness, mutual support and mutual respect. We greatly value these relations, appreciate them and look forward to moving forward," The Azerbaijani leader concluded.
