OFFICIAL NEWS
STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN
They, as always, were very frank and productive. The Russian delegation marks, that the Russian-Azerbaijan relations are today at very high level and have acquired serious positive dynamics of development. It concerns and to political sphere of our interaction, both to economy, and to sphere of humanitarian ties. As to the last, many of you saw yesterday opening of the Year of Russia in Azerbaijan, I am confident, that it will be one more serious additional push to development of our relations in sphere of humanitarian contacts. I hope, that those actions which are planned within the limits of the Year of Russia in Azerbaijan, will be met with greater interest, attention and the Azerbaijan public whom, I know, with greater interest concerns to the Russian art, the Russian performers, to the Russian theatrical figures will have an opportunity to be convinced that Russia in this sense develops. The Azerbaijan spectators and listeners will see not only our glorified collectives known already for a long time, but also new performers and will take pleasure in dialogue with representatives of the Russian art.
As to political connections, political interaction, they are really at very high level. We keep constant contact at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government of Azerbaijan and Russia, at the level practically all departments, which carry out or supervise over interaction in all directions which have been designated also by me, and my colleague.
There is a sphere, which draws our special attention - a sphere of economic cooperation. We not only have reached the boundaries fixed earlier, but also have achieved very good rate of development, and on the areas of cooperation extremely important and sensitive for us. It is power and the mechanical engineering, transport, communications, agriculture, iron and steel industry, and sphere without which in general it is impossible to develop business, I mean, financial sphere.
I very much count, that those are numerous contacts which are maintained between representatives of business and representatives of regions, will give positive effect in the near future.
Certainly, I cannot bypass both very complex and important both for mutual relations, and for all region, the question connected with Nagorno Karabakh. I agree with the President of Azerbaijan that, despite of all complexity of this question, both agreeing sides - both Azerbaijan, and Armenia - can find the mutually acceptable decision. Russia will use its best efforts, that results of negotiations were positive. I from my part promised to the President of Azerbaijan, that we initiate and we shall lead additional consultations of our Armenian partners. In the near future, I am going to contact with the President of Armenia, to invite him to Moscow for carrying out of the further consultations on this problem.
The Russian delegation estimates the Baku negotiations as rather productive, and we are grateful to all our Azerbaijani partners for the organization of our joint work.
Many thanks for attention.
**
Then the heads of states have answered questions of media representatives.