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Aliyev-Medvedev Dialog Should Continue, Including Karabakh

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  • Aliyev-Medvedev Dialog Should Continue, Including Karabakh

    ALIYEV-MEDVEDEV DIALOG SHOULD CONTINUE, INCLUDING ON KARABAKH

    Interfax
    April 16 2009
    Russia

    The upcoming visit by President Ilham Aliyev to Russia on April 16-
    17 could give an additional impetus to the efforts being made under
    the Moscow declaration on the Karabakh conflict resolution, Baku says.

    It will be the 21st meeting between the Azeri and Russian presidents,
    held in various formats over the past five years.

    "And it is not just statistics. This figure is an indicator of the
    progress in our bilateral relations, the evidence of the current
    atmosphere of openness between the two countries' leaders, their
    confidence and interest in a regular dialog in order to address
    the practical issues of bilateral cooperation and the regional
    and international security," Fuad Akhundov, head of the social and
    political division in the presidential administration, told Interfax.

    It is these two sets of issues that will be at the center of the
    Moscow "working summit," he said. The period since the last summit
    of the two presidents that was held in Baku on July 3, 2008, "has
    proved very fruitful for the Azeri-Russian relations, filled with
    intensive dialog and cooperation in a variety of areas of bilateral
    cooperation," he said.

    "The friendship and strategic partnership declaration signed during
    the Baku summit has become a sort of "road map" for the cooperation
    between the two countries, which has substantially pushed the borders
    of our bilateral relations in the area of political, economic and
    humanitarian cooperation," Akhundov said.

    Azerbaijan praises Russia's active stance on the Armenian- Azerbaijan
    conflict and hopes that the Declaration's purpose to ensure stability
    and security in the region by resolving this conflict in line with
    international law and the relevant resolutions and documents being
    made will get an additional impetus at the Moscow meeting between
    the two presidents, he said.

    There have been clear signs of a positive growth in economic
    cooperation as well, Akhundov said. "Bilateral trade exceeded
    $2 billion, which makes Russia one of our country's leading trade
    partners after Italy, the United States, Israel, India and France. If
    we don't take the oil component into account, Russia is a sure leader
    on the list of Azerbaijan's trade partners. Russian businessmen are
    seriously interested in the Azerbaijani market, which is being proved
    by the fact that Russia has retained its leadership in Azerbaijan's
    imports for several years now," Akhundov said.

    Unfortunately, cooperation on investment is not as intensive, he
    said. This subject will be actively discussed at the upcoming 12th
    session of the inter-governmental commission for economic cooperation,
    preparations for which are underway in both capitals, he said.

    Innovative, advanced and nanotechnologies are another promising area
    of cooperation between the two countries, he added.

    Baku and Moscow stepped up their efforts in the multi-lateral dialog
    (between the Caspian nations) on the Caspian Sea problem and border
    issues, and there is some positive progress in these important issues,
    he said.

    During the president's visit the parties will also exchange their
    views on the current situation in and around the southern Caucasus
    region, the official said.
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