TV and radio host of All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Vladimir Solovyov in the studio of the Vesti FM radio station told about his visit to Baku, where he had a two-hour conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. First of all, he stressed that a meeting with the president was the purpose of his visit. "It was very interesting - conversations with leaders of states are always very interesting as the conversation is held at such level of responsibility," he said.
Despite the fact that the visit was short-term, and it was interrupted by the US strike on the Syrian airbase, Vladimir Solovyov managed to see the city. "The roads of Baku are impeccable. It is evident that a lot of money has been invested in the city. There are real architectural art works in Baku, in particular, the Heydar Aliyev Center, built on the project of Zahi Hadid, the presenter said.
According to Vladimir Solovyov, he was long prepared for visiting Azerbaijan. "I had something to ask the president of Azerbaijan. Everyone was perfectly polite and benevolent with me. The meeting with the president started exactly at 10:00 am and I was surprised that Ilham Aliyev looked much younger than his photos. The conversation was very frank, and I would like to thank the president for the conversation, he made a very good impression on me," he admitted.
"I understand that Ilham Aliyev is a brilliantly educated and clever politician - a true statesman. We have diametrically opposed positions, but he was brilliantly prepared for the conversation. We talked about the blogger arrested in Belarus, about Ueldanov, I heard the president's position and expressed my opinion. I was told that everyone is perfectly polite with these people, but they violated the laws of Azerbaijan and must answer to justice," Vladimir Solovyov said.
The case of a Russian citizen with Armenian last name, who was not allowed on the plane to Baku, was also raised. "The president explained that they are not at war with all the Armenians, but it is necessary to provide security for every person arriving to Azerbaijan. Given the very tense relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, where is the guarantee that people with Armenian surname will come to the hotel and would not be killed. Therefore, they need a whole safety system for the organization of visits," the presenter noted.
Vladimir Solovyov stressed that Ilham Aliyev passed through the mill, recalling that when Gorbachev's entourage was cleaned, Shevardnadze ordered to dismiss Ilham Aliyev from MGIMO. "We discussed the past, and I was pleased that our assessments of many stages of Russia's modern history were similar. I did not hear a single pejorative word towards the leaders of Armenia. That is, everyone has their own tough positions, but they do not cross the brink of decent behavior," he said.
"Ilham Aliyev told interesting things about an attitude towards the US - there is no any adoration for it, He told how he dealt with the opposition:" I just began to monitor the speeches of foreign figures and financial flows from abroad, so the opposition weakened itself". Another his quote: "The US wants us poor and weak, and if we are rich, they immediately start talking about corruption." He also explained why he appointed his wife as first vice-president. On the one hand, he said, it was the consolidation of the status quo, Mehriban Aliyeva has done so much for the country, as well as to show once again that we are not like them," the presenter said.
"He explained the behavior of Azerbaijan in the international arena - Baku cannot vote against territorial integrity, as long as there is a problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, so it votes for territorial integrity, including in Ukraine. Then we started to discuss the occupied regions. My position is unequivocal - the military solution is unacceptable. I realized that Ilham Aliyev think of the settlement in terms of 10-20 years, because the issue is complex, but it must be resolved," Vladimir Solovyov said.
"When we discussed the partnership with Russia, and I said that Russia will never betray Russia, he objected to me 'It is Putin who will never betray'," the presenter said.
"There is an opportunity for a negotiation process and there is a clear understanding that it is impossible to resolve the conflict by military means. At the same time, for Azerbaijan there is a breakdown into subunits: the issue of Karabakh and the issue of the territories around it," Vladimir Solovyov said.
"There is also an understanding that a solution to the Karabakh problem is possible only thanks to Russia. "The arrival of Azerbaijan to the EEU seriously changes the alignment of forces, including the railroad to Iran and the republic's oil capabilities," the presenter expects.
Concluding his speech, Vladimir Soloviev drew attention to the fact that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is impossible without the desire of all parties. "It is impossible without movement from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia. In this situation it is necessary to understand that we need compromises. I saw the desire of progress in Baku," the host summarized in the studio of the Vesti FM radio station.
