Prime-Minister of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev received the first Vice-Premier of the Russian Government Galina Karelova.

Having cordially welcomed the guest, Prime-Minister of Azerbaijan expressed his satisfaction that the V World Congress of Russian Press is being conducted in Baku.

Galina Karelova thanked Ilham Aliyev for the hospitality and warm attitude to the Russian delegation, and especially emphasized the initiative of President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to conduct this important event in Baku.

The Vice-premier updated the Prime-Minister in detail on the meetings she had had in the University, secondary school and with refugees. According to her, the Russian delegation members have met in Azerbaijan a great desire to continue contacts, work out new programs for development of co-operation in humanitarian sphere. Galina Karelova particularly pointed out good attitude and respect to the Russian language in Azerbaijan.

Prime-Minister Ilham Aliyev, in his turn, noted that Azerbaijan’s leadership sets a high value on the developing relations between the two countries. The relations, according to him, are based on good neighboring, friendship and mutual understanding between the two people, and of course, on personal contacts of the two countries’ presidents - Heydar Aliyev and Vladimir Putin. He stressed during his meting with the Russian President in Yalta CIS summit, it was confirmed that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are successfully developing in the name of the two nations welfare. Ilham Aliyev said after Azerbaijan gained independence, the attitude towards Russian-speaking population here has reached higher level.