Moscow, November 21, AZERTAC

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, who is on an official visit to Russia, has met with Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.

First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva arrived at the Reception House of the Government of the Russian Federation. Chairman of the Russian Government Dmitry Medvedev welcomed Azerbaijan's First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

Greeting Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, Chairman of the Russian Government Dmitry Medvedev said:

-Dear Mehriban Arifovna.

Dear friends, colleagues.

I am pleased to welcome you to Russia. Of course, I remember my visit to Azerbaijan, which took place last time in April 2016. Although we had a few chances to meet. First of all, please convey my greetings to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. I want to express my gratitude for you having a very good visit programme. It is perfect and rich. The programme includes our negotiations with you, the meeting you are going to have with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the interregional forum to be attended by a great part of the Russian regions. The opening of an Azerbaijani pavilion at the Exhibition of the National Economy’s Achievements is a very significant event. All these are a complete reflection of the kind neighbourhood, partnership and friendship between our countries. Your visit is an obvious sign of this. Therefore, I welcome you from the bottom of my heart, offering you to discuss the most important issues concerning our mutual activities, both in economic and all other areas.

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First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva said:

-Dear Dmitry Anatolyevich.

Dear colleagues.

First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude to the leadership of the Russian Federation for the invitation to undertake an official visit to your country. I am very pleased to be again in Moscow. Moscow is a home city for me. I have spent my student years here. I am very pleased to meet you. And, taking this opportunity, I want to convey the greetings and well wishes of the Azerbaijani President to you.

Azerbaijan has been attaching exclusively great importance to mutual relations with Russia. Strong and old friendship and kind neighbourhood relations bind our countries. Political will of the Azerbaijani and Russian presidents, as well as our current relations, thanks to the endeavours of both presidents, are characterized as a strategic partnership. There is an active political dialogue. The Azerbaijani and Russian presidents are having regular meetings. These meetings give strong impetus to our relations in almost all directions, maintaining dynamism.

Without a doubt, economic cooperation is one of the significant components of our bilateral agenda. Russia has been one of the major trade partners of Azerbaijan, holding the first place in the import of non-oil products. The indices excites optimism. We see an increase each year, with the growing commodity turnover. Last year, there was 19 percent increase, making up 2.6 billion US dollars, with 24 percent increase according to the results of the first 9 months of the current year. These indices are very optimistic. There is an increase in the mutual investments. Volume of the Russian investment into the Azerbaijani economy is 4.9 billion US dollars, with the Azerbaijani investment into Russia being 1.2 billion US Dollars. What is most important is that, according to the analysis of the intergovernmental commission, this potential has not been utilised in full, which may be increased two-threefold.

Dear Dmitry Anatolyevich, you mentioned the interregional cooperation. Actually, it is a very significant part of our mutual activities. The 10th interregional forum is going to take place in the framework of my visit. The number of Russian tourists visiting our country is increasing. 900 thousand Russians visited Azerbaijan last year. These indices are expected to increase this year.

I want to also talk about the humanitarian ties, as, I think, the humanitarian relations between our countries, especially in the domain of education, are exemplary. The Russian language and the Russian cultures are treated with great respect in Azerbaijan. Education in Russian has been maintained fully in Azerbaijan, with teaching in Russian being carried out at 338 schools. There are Russian sections at 14 higher schools, with successful implementation of a pilot project of intensive teaching of Russian at 50 secondary schools, initiated by the Education Ministry. There is a mutual activity at the level of higher education. Branches of the Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University are successfully operating in Azerbaijan. I think a great potential exists also in this sphere. I am hopeful our cooperation would extend in all spheres, serving the well-being of our countries and peoples.

I want to sincerely thank you for the warm reception, your hospitality, and deliver my best wishes to you. Thank you.