The fact that Russian-Azerbaijani relations stay stable is confirmed by the visit to Baku of a delegation of the Ulyanovsk Region headed by Governor Sergei Morozov. According to the Minister of Economy and Industry of Azerbaijan, Shakhin Mustafayev, extension of ties with regions of Russia means political cooperation between the two countries at the strategic level. Mustafayev reminded that Russia is the main trading partner of Azerbaijan.
The visit was one of the most important positive events in relations between Russia and Azerbaijan after the voting in the UN General Assembly on the resolution confirming the territorial integrity of Ukraine and declaring the Crimean referendum illegal. Baku voted for it as well. Vestnik Kavkaza interviewed Ilyas Umakhanov, the deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council, who stressed that Russia understands the position of Azerbaijan and thinks that Baku doesn’t have an anti-Russian point of view on developments in Ukraine.
“We understand that support of the UN resolution on Ukraine is connected for Azerbaijan not with Crimean or Sevastopol developments, but with the situation over Nagorno-Karabakh. The same position Azerbaijan had on the Kosovo issue, even though as a Muslim country it seemed to support Kosovo. Moreover, Azerbaijan didn’t recognize Turkish North Cyprus, which is close to Baku, according to historic, cultural, and political aspects.”
Umakhanov noted that the Russian authorities would like to have Azerbaijan’s support on the Crimean issue, “our colleagues understand the reasons for Russia meeting the near-unanimous opinion of residents of Sevastopol and Crimea,” but Moscow admits the national interests of Baku. “We respect the position of our Azerbaijani colleagues,” the deputy chairman of the Federation Council concluded.
