Baku, August 6, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, on August 6.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that Sergei Shoigu’s visit provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the agenda of bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.

The head of state emphasized the importance of regular contacts between Azerbaijan and Russia regarding the ongoing processes in the region.

Hailing the successful development of the bilateral relations, the Azerbaijani President pointed to high-level and other contacts, the implementation of agreements and roadmaps signed between the two countries, and cooperation in security, transportation, energy, military-technical, and humanitarian areas. President Ilham Aliyev mentioned that discussions on these issues are frequently held with President Vladimir Putin.

The head of state praised the active work of the intergovernmental commission and announced that its next meeting will be held in Baku soon. President Ilham Aliyev noted ongoing active contacts between various authorities of the two countries.

The head of state expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of decisions made between the political leadership of the two countries, particularly the provisions of the Declaration on “Allied Interaction between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation.”

President Ilham Aliyev described Azerbaijan-Russia relations as exemplary for some neighboring states, highlighting their importance as a key security factor in the South Caucasus and beyond.

Sergei Shoigu expressed gratitude for the sincere and warm reception given to the delegation, attributing it to the strong personal relationship between the heads of state of the two countries.

Sergei Shoigu commended the successful development of relations between the two countries in regional security, military-technical, transportation, and economic areas. He stated that there are very important issues on the agenda of bilateral cooperation, which have been successfully addressed. He highlighted the implementation of the North-South corridor as a prime example, noting that significant progress has been made on a trilateral basis regarding this project.

Sergei Shoigu expressed his country's support for the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The prospects for cooperation in the "3+3" format were discussed at the meeting.

The meeting also touched upon Russia’s respect for the memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the National Leader’s significant role in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The importance of President Ilham Aliyev's participation in the event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline held in Moscow this April was also emphasized.