POLITICS
AZERI FIREMEN RETURN HOME
Baku, August 20 (AZERTAC). Firefighting helicopters with 19 crew members of Azerbaijan`s Emergency Situations Ministry returned home after operations on extinguishing the forest fires in Russia. The two helicopters were sent to Russia in accordance with instructions of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.
At the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the crew was welcomed by Deputy Minister of Azerbaijan Emergency Situations Faig Tagizade and Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin.
The two firefighting helicopters carried out operations in one of the suffered regions of Russia - Ryazan. Ambassador thanked the firemen for assistance. Chief of the aviation group of the Ministry, colonel Ashraf Gasimov said Azeri pilots carried out 49 flights and over 850 tons of water used to extinguish the fires.
Leadership of Ryazan oblast and government of Russia hailed the activity of Azerbaijani firemen, said Mr. Gasimov. On August 17, a meeting with foreign specialists, who participated in the operations, took place in Moscow. They were awarded with medal “For elimination consequences of the emergency situations”. Russia`s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to the Azerbaijani firemen and presented gifts.