POLITICS
Dmitry Savelyev: Azerbaijan becomes geopolitical intermediary between Russia, Turkey and Iran
Moscow, September 14, AZERTAC
“Today, when Russia's relations with a number of countries are being tested for strength, the Russian-Azerbaijani partnership continues to evolve, traditionally relying on mutual respect, and has a multi-vector character,” said Dmitry Savelyev, member of the State Duma, chairman of the Russian-Azerbaijani parliamentary group.
He made remarks addressing the conference “Moscow-Baku axis: towards new geopolitics of the Caucasus" in Moscow.
According to Savelyev, the two countries cooperate in the field of culture, economy and politics. “Currently, the legal framework of Russia-Azerbaijan relations accounts for more than two hundred intergovernmental and interregional agreements, and every meeting of the leaders of the two countries, working groups and official delegations contributes to deepening the relations. “Russia has acquired a strong and reliable partner in the South Caucasus, which plays by long-term and understandable rules,” he said.
"First of all, this refers to economic relations: there is a free trade regime between Russia and Azerbaijan, mutual investments are estimated in billions of dollars, and from simple foreign trade operations we moved on to the implementation of joint projects for a long time. The most significant of them is a transport megaproject “North-South”, carried out together with Iran.”
According to Savelyev, the two countries implement cultural exchanges, and the factor of people's diplomacy in relations between Azerbaijan and Russia has become a real force capable of forming public opinion and influencing political processes.
He pointed out that over 25 years of independence Azerbaijan managed to achieve the leading positions in the South Caucasus thanks to its economic, natural, human and foreign policy potential, and also used its unique geographical position both to consolidate peace and stability in the South Caucasus and support trans-regional cooperation.
“Azerbaijan has long proved that it is able to conduct an independent and balanced foreign policy, and this opens great prospects for the country's development. Increasingly, Azerbaijan is becoming a geopolitical intermediary between the three world powers - Russia, Turkey and Iran. When two years ago the Russian military aircraft was shot down by the Turkish Air Force and this was the starting point of the Russian-Turkish crisis, the Azerbaijani leadership did everything to mediate between the conflicting parties, find a way out of the crisis and help restore relations between Russia and Turkey. Due to this, Azerbaijan`s influence in the world political arena has increased even more," Savelyev said.
“At present, the multifaceted Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation is experiencing a powerful upsurge, and the intensity of contacts at the state level shows that our countries are equally interested in deepening this partnership.”
The Russian politician said that the two countries are building their relations not on the basis of some artificial political combinations, but as neighbors, which will always live together and strengthen the traditions of good-neighborliness.
Farida Abdullayeva
Special correspondent