The fifth meeting of the Russia–Azerbaijan Expert Council (RAEC), themed “Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan within the Framework of Regional Projects and Initiatives,” was held in Baku.
According to AZERTAC, the event was attended by Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Igor Maslov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elshad Isgandarov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev, and Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Ivan Timofeev.
Moderating the event, Farid Shafiyev recalled that this platform was established in 2021 and emphasized the symbolic significance of holding the current meeting in the new reality following Azerbaijan’s full restoration of sovereignty over its territories. He noted that large-scale reconstruction and restoration efforts are underway in the territories liberated from occupation and that Azerbaijan will host COP29 this year. The moderator also stated that the meeting would feature discussions on a range of important regional issues, including transport, other key sectors, and regional security.
Assistant to the President Hikmet Hajiyev stated that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are currently at their highest level. He stressed that the Declaration on Allied Interaction between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation is the logical outcome of consistent efforts undertaken over recent decades to strengthen bilateral relations.
According to Hikmet Hajiyev, a trend toward strengthening and expanding cooperation between the two countries is observed in the economic, cultural, humanitarian, and other spheres. “Interregional cooperation is expanding. Azerbaijan maintains ties with more than 70 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and over 10 agreements on economic, trade, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation are being implemented with Russian regions. Naturally, all of this has become possible thanks to the relationship based on personal trust and a high level of mutual understanding between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin,” he said.
Highlighting the growing global demand for transport arteries, Hikmet Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan’s geographical location and substantial investments in transport infrastructure have enabled the country to become one of the key transport and logistics hubs on the Eurasian continent.
Speaking about Russia–Azerbaijan relations, the Assistant to the President emphasized that cooperation in the humanitarian and education sectors is also developing successfully. He noted that the Baku branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Baku branch of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University are operating successfully in Azerbaijan. “It is widely known that the Russian language is treated with great care in Azerbaijan. Approximately 140,000 children study in Russian-language sectors at around 340 schools. More than 15,000 Azerbaijani citizens are enrolled in Russian-language departments at Azerbaijani universities. This year, Russia Culture Days will be held in Azerbaijan, along with numerous cultural events. All of this will undoubtedly contribute to further strengthening ties between our friendly nations,” he said.
Hikmet Hajiyev expressed confidence that, thanks to the consistent policies pursued by the leaders of both states, bilateral relations will continue to develop along an upward trajectory and be enriched with new substance.
Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Igor Maslov stated that the decision to establish the RAEC expert platform in 2021 was both timely and effective. “Initially, it was planned that experts from the two countries would address pressing issues in bilateral relations, and in my view, we have fulfilled this task very successfully,” he said.
Igor Maslov noted that relations between the two countries entered a new phase in 2022, as a result of which the scope of mutual interests of Azerbaijan and Russia has expanded to include both regional and global issues.
According to Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov, Russia is interested in ensuring stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus and is ready to contribute to the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. The Russian diplomat also emphasized the importance of resolving issues related to the Caspian region, noting that interference by external forces in regional affairs is unacceptable and that all issues can be resolved by the countries of the region themselves.
Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elshad Isgandarov emphasized that ensuring regional cooperation in the political and economic spheres and countering external destructive interference are key priorities. He expressed satisfaction with the successful holding of the fifth meeting of the platform bringing together experts from both countries, noting that the event is a clear example of how the desire to strengthen Russia–Azerbaijan relations is being translated into practice. “When this idea was first proposed three years ago, we emphasized that the meeting should not be a one-off event and that this initiative should yield concrete results,” he added.
Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Ivan Timofeev spoke about the active engagement between the two countries at the level of governments and relevant agencies, noting that intensive exchanges at the level of regional authorities are a very positive indicator.
The meeting continued with sessions on “Priorities of Russia–Azerbaijan Allied Interaction,” “Current Formats and Aspects of Regional Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan,” and other topics.
At the conclusion of the meeting, recommendations of the Russia–Azerbaijan Expert Council were adopted.
According to AZERTAC, the event was attended by Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Igor Maslov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elshad Isgandarov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev, and Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Ivan Timofeev.
Moderating the event, Farid Shafiyev recalled that this platform was established in 2021 and emphasized the symbolic significance of holding the current meeting in the new reality following Azerbaijan’s full restoration of sovereignty over its territories. He noted that large-scale reconstruction and restoration efforts are underway in the territories liberated from occupation and that Azerbaijan will host COP29 this year. The moderator also stated that the meeting would feature discussions on a range of important regional issues, including transport, other key sectors, and regional security.
Assistant to the President Hikmet Hajiyev stated that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are currently at their highest level. He stressed that the Declaration on Allied Interaction between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation is the logical outcome of consistent efforts undertaken over recent decades to strengthen bilateral relations.
According to Hikmet Hajiyev, a trend toward strengthening and expanding cooperation between the two countries is observed in the economic, cultural, humanitarian, and other spheres. “Interregional cooperation is expanding. Azerbaijan maintains ties with more than 70 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and over 10 agreements on economic, trade, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation are being implemented with Russian regions. Naturally, all of this has become possible thanks to the relationship based on personal trust and a high level of mutual understanding between President Ilham Aliyev and President Vladimir Putin,” he said.
Highlighting the growing global demand for transport arteries, Hikmet Hajiyev noted that Azerbaijan’s geographical location and substantial investments in transport infrastructure have enabled the country to become one of the key transport and logistics hubs on the Eurasian continent.
Speaking about Russia–Azerbaijan relations, the Assistant to the President emphasized that cooperation in the humanitarian and education sectors is also developing successfully. He noted that the Baku branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Baku branch of I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University are operating successfully in Azerbaijan. “It is widely known that the Russian language is treated with great care in Azerbaijan. Approximately 140,000 children study in Russian-language sectors at around 340 schools. More than 15,000 Azerbaijani citizens are enrolled in Russian-language departments at Azerbaijani universities. This year, Russia Culture Days will be held in Azerbaijan, along with numerous cultural events. All of this will undoubtedly contribute to further strengthening ties between our friendly nations,” he said.
Hikmet Hajiyev expressed confidence that, thanks to the consistent policies pursued by the leaders of both states, bilateral relations will continue to develop along an upward trajectory and be enriched with new substance.
Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Igor Maslov stated that the decision to establish the RAEC expert platform in 2021 was both timely and effective. “Initially, it was planned that experts from the two countries would address pressing issues in bilateral relations, and in my view, we have fulfilled this task very successfully,” he said.
Igor Maslov noted that relations between the two countries entered a new phase in 2022, as a result of which the scope of mutual interests of Azerbaijan and Russia has expanded to include both regional and global issues.
According to Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov, Russia is interested in ensuring stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus and is ready to contribute to the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan. The Russian diplomat also emphasized the importance of resolving issues related to the Caspian region, noting that interference by external forces in regional affairs is unacceptable and that all issues can be resolved by the countries of the region themselves.
Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elshad Isgandarov emphasized that ensuring regional cooperation in the political and economic spheres and countering external destructive interference are key priorities. He expressed satisfaction with the successful holding of the fifth meeting of the platform bringing together experts from both countries, noting that the event is a clear example of how the desire to strengthen Russia–Azerbaijan relations is being translated into practice. “When this idea was first proposed three years ago, we emphasized that the meeting should not be a one-off event and that this initiative should yield concrete results,” he added.
Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Ivan Timofeev spoke about the active engagement between the two countries at the level of governments and relevant agencies, noting that intensive exchanges at the level of regional authorities are a very positive indicator.
The meeting continued with sessions on “Priorities of Russia–Azerbaijan Allied Interaction,” “Current Formats and Aspects of Regional Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan,” and other topics.
At the conclusion of the meeting, recommendations of the Russia–Azerbaijan Expert Council were adopted.
