BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. The conference on the "Russian-Azerbaijani relations in the 21st century: strategic partnership in the context of regional security" topic as part of the 3rd meeting of the Russia-Azerbaijan Expert Council with the participation of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov has been held in Baku, Trend reports via Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The meeting was organized by the Azerbaijani Center for Analysis of International Relations and the Russian International Affairs Council.
Speaking at the event, Bayramov stressed that the Russia-Azerbaijan Expert Council in a short time has become a platform for ongoing cooperation between the experts of the two countries.
He noted that having a constant exchange of views and dialogue between experts would be useful for those who specialize in the field of diplomacy.
Speaking about the current dynamics of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, and high-level dialogue, including joint cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries, Bayramov noted that the expert council serves as a practical platform for further development of cooperation between the countries' experts.
At the event, it was noted with satisfaction that over the past year, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries was widely celebrated both within the framework of the foreign ministries of the two countries and the Russia-Azerbaijan Expert Council.
In particular, it was emphasized that over the past period, relations between the two states have turned into a strategic partnership, which is a logical result of many years of bilateral cooperation, as well as a solid foundation for a high level of trust between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bayramov stressed at the event that Azerbaijan is pursuing a sovereign foreign policy strategy based on national interests, and that such a stable, predictable and, most importantly, sovereign policy makes the country a valuable partner for the international community, including Russia.
He also noted similar positions of Azerbaijan and Russia regarding the consistent promotion of peace agenda in the South Caucasus, neutralization of revanchism attempts and unhealthy competition in some cases.
Besides, the minister noted that the victory of Azerbaijan in the 2020 second Karabakh war, the actual implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions [which demanded Armenia to withdraw its armed forces from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories] by the country, as well as proposals discussed over the years, including Russia’s negotiating platform, opened up new opportunities for the above purposes.
At the event, confidence was expressed that the signing of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation by the heads of state of the two countries last year will give a new impetus to joint efforts.
Besides, there was expressed commitment to the trilateral statements [of Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war] signed in 2020 and 2021, which were assessed as an important basis for the post-conflict development of Azerbaijan and the entire South Caucasus region.
During his speech, Lavrov noted the importance of strategic ties between Azerbaijan and Russia.
At the conference, reports were presented by the Chairman of the Board of the Center for the Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiyev and the Director General of the Russian Council for International Affairs Andrey Kortunov on the activities of the Russia-Azerbaijan Expert Council.
The discussions held within the closed sessions of the conference in the conditions of an interactive dialogue covered the political, economic, humanitarian and other spheres of Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation.
The council members also adopted a communiqué reflecting the council's practical recommendations on various aspects of deepening relations between the two countries.
It was considered expedient to present Russian International Affairs Council’s recommendations on the relevant platforms of bilateral cooperation, publish joint thematic collections, and hold regular meetings of the council.
During the conference, the foreign ministers were presented with commemorative copies of the first edition of the Russian International Affairs Council’s collection of articles entitled "30 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Azerbaijan: traveled path and look into the future", the authors of which are Russian and Azerbaijani experts.
The 1st and the 2nd meetings of the Russia-Azerbaijan Expert Council were held in November 2021 and November 2022, respectively.