Rajab Safarov, Director General of the Center for Modern Studies of Iran, and Vladimir Yevseyev, Director of the Center for Socio-Political Studies, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan was an indisputable success for Russian-Azerbaijani relations.
Safarov said that the visit demonstrated a devotion to development of relations. Putin’s arrival was an expression of support for Azerbaijan on the international, bilateral and commercial level. The expert noted that the visit had nothing to do with the upcoming elections in Azerbaijan and was organized to boost cooperation within the framework of strategic affairs.
Safarov emphasized that the government of Azerbaijan wanted to continue cooperation with Russia. The two nations have thousands of trade and cultural links. The expert concluded that Putin’s visit was a big success and gave a good image of the real state of relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.
Yevseyev gave a high rating to the visit as well, despite the few agreements signed. He believes that there were many informal agreements made. This will be seen, he said, from relations with Azerbaijani communities in Moscow. It will also become evident in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh situation and Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, he added. Yevseyev said that it was time to take practical steps for cooperation. He pointed out that the North-South Corridor was one of the possible steps, because Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran wanted its realization. The sides could form a common strategy, and boost military cooperation, he suggested.
