Slutsky: Russian-Azerbaijani relations will survive any upheaval

Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian State Duma committee for the CIS, Eurasian integration and contacts with compatriots, said today that Russian-Azerbaijani relations would survive any upheavals. The MP noted after a joint session of his committee and the Armenian permanent parliamentary commission for foreign relations that he saw anti-Azerbaijani theses appearing in the Armenian press.

The Russian lawmaker clarified that there were rumours in the media that he had been discussing some very delicate topics with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, such as an arms race between Azerbaijan and Armenia or a rampant policy waged by Baku and Ankara against Armenia.

Slutsky praised Armenia for joining the Eurasian Economic Union. But the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the South Caucasus is very sensitive, in his words. The legislature added that speculating on the topics would be unbecoming for a politician.

He said that he was acquainted with many Azerbaijani politicians, cultural figures and talented people and was proud to be friends with them. Skews and overt fantasies were a serious blow to his reputation in Azerbaijan, emphasized Slutsky. The Russian MP added that there were not that many politicians who could be regarded as true friends of Azerbaijan, though he predicts that their numbers will rise.

Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian State Duma committee for the CIS, Eurasian integration and contacts with compatriots, said today that Russian-Azerbaijani relations would survive any upheavals. The MP noted after a joint session of his committee and the Armenian permanent parliamentary commission for foreign relations that he saw anti-Azerbaijani theses appearing in Armenian press.The Russian lawmaker clarified that there were rumours in media that he had been discussing some very delicate topics with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, such as an arms race of Azerbaijan and Armenia or a rampant policy waged by Baku and Ankara against Armenia.Slutsky praised Armenia for joining the Eurasian Economic Union. But the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the South Caucasus is very sensitive, in his words. The legislature added that speculating on the topics would unbecoming for a politician.He said that he was acquainted with many Azerbaijani politicians, cultural figures and talented people and was proud to be friends with them. Skews and overt fantasies were a serious blow for his reputation in Azerbaijan, emphasized Slutsky. The Russian MP added that there were not that many politicians who could be regarded as true friends of Azerbaijan, though he predicts that their numbers will r