ALIYEV-MEDVEDEV DIALOG SHOULD CONTINUE, INCLUDING ON KARABAKH

Interfax
April 16 2009
Russia

The upcoming visit by President Ilham Aliyev to Russia on April 16-
17 could give an additional impetus to the efforts being made under
the Moscow declaration on the Karabakh conflict resolution, Baku says.

It will be the 21st meeting between the Azeri and Russian presidents,
held in various formats over the past five years.

"And it is not just statistics. This figure is an indicator of the
progress in our bilateral relations, the evidence of the current
atmosphere of openness between the two countries’ leaders, their
confidence and interest in a regular dialog in order to address
the practical issues of bilateral cooperation and the regional
and international security," Fuad Akhundov, head of the social and
political division in the presidential administration, told Interfax.

It is these two sets of issues that will be at the center of the
Moscow "working summit," he said. The period since the last summit
of the two presidents that was held in Baku on July 3, 2008, "has
proved very fruitful for the Azeri-Russian relations, filled with
intensive dialog and cooperation in a variety of areas of bilateral
cooperation," he said.

"The friendship and strategic partnership declaration signed during
the Baku summit has become a sort of "road map" for the cooperation
between the two countries, which has substantially pushed the borders
of our bilateral relations in the area of political, economic and
humanitarian cooperation," Akhundov said.

Azerbaijan praises Russia’s active stance on the Armenian- Azerbaijan
conflict and hopes that the Declaration’s purpose to ensure stability
and security in the region by resolving this conflict in line with
international law and the relevant resolutions and documents being
made will get an additional impetus at the Moscow meeting between
the two presidents, he said.

There have been clear signs of a positive growth in economic
cooperation as well, Akhundov said. "Bilateral trade exceeded
$2 billion, which makes Russia one of our country’s leading trade
partners after Italy, the United States, Israel, India and France. If
we don’t take the oil component into account, Russia is a sure leader
on the list of Azerbaijan’s trade partners. Russian businessmen are
seriously interested in the Azerbaijani market, which is being proved
by the fact that Russia has retained its leadership in Azerbaijan’s
imports for several years now," Akhundov said.

Unfortunately, cooperation on investment is not as intensive, he
said. This subject will be actively discussed at the upcoming 12th
session of the inter-governmental commission for economic cooperation,
preparations for which are underway in both capitals, he said.

Innovative, advanced and nanotechnologies are another promising area
of cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Baku and Moscow stepped up their efforts in the multi-lateral dialog
(between the Caspian nations) on the Caspian Sea problem and border
issues, and there is some positive progress in these important issues,
he said.

During the president’s visit the parties will also exchange their
views on the current situation in and around the southern Caucasus
region, the official said.