In an interview with the Vestnik Kavkaza correspondent on the sidelines of the presentation of the Commonwealth Readership Assembly, the President of the Russian Book Union, Sergei Stepashin thanked the Azerbaijani leadership for the policy of preserving the Russian language that was carried out in the republic in the 90s and the 21st century.
"Thanks to both Heydar Aliyev and current President Ilham Aliyev for preserving the Russian language in Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev knows Russian and loves literature - and this love also extends to our Azerbaijani friends," he said.
Sergei Stepashin emphasized that the prevalence of the Russian language in Azerbaijan allows Russians to travel to the republic without fear of a language barrier. “I advise you to go to Baku, see how people live there, go to shops, chat with Azerbaijanis. I assure you that you will get the impression that we still live in one country,” the president of the Russian Book Union explained.
