Russian MP Slutsky hails Azerbaijani achievements

Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian parliamentary committee for the CIS, Eurasian integration and compatriots, said that Azerbaijan was extracting 14 billion cubic meters of gas a year and became an independent state. He praised economic, social and scientific achievements of Azerbaijan.

The official reminded that the Agdam, Fizuli, Kelbajar, Zangelan, Lachin, Jebrail, Kubatly districts of Nagorno-Karabakh remained occupied and the OSCE Minsk Group was working on their deoccupation.

Slutsky said that Azerbaijan was the first to start realization the Eastern Partnership program. He emphasized that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had refused to open the Euronest initiative in Baku a year ago.

The Russian MP believes that Azerbaijan would benefit from participating in Eurasian integration. He reminded that Russia and Azerbaijan had strong interparliamentary ties, Azerbaijan was helping preserve Russian schools and supporting formation of new Russian universities.