Azerbaijani president thanks Putin for overseeing AZAL plane crash investigation

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for personally overseeing the situation related to the AZAL plane crash, Azertag reports.

“I would like to thank you for personally keeping this situation under control. <…> You are personally overseeing the course of the investigation, and we had no doubt that it would thoroughly and objectively determine all the circumstances. Therefore, I would like once again to express my gratitude that you deemed it important to address this issue during our meeting,” the head of state said.

The discussion also touched on the positive developments in bilateral economic relations. President Aliyev noted, “There is positive momentum in the development of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia.” 

“As you noted, not only trade and economic relations but also all other areas have seen successful development this year. <…> There is positive momentum in the growth of trade turnover,” he added.

During the meeting with President Aliyev, Putin stated that Russia will provide a legal assessment of the actions of all officials in connection with the AZAL plane crash.

On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer 190AR en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 fatalities and 29 survivors. The crash occurred after the aircraft was struck by shrapnel from a Russian surface-to-air missile targeting a Ukrainian drone. The plane attempted an emergency landing but suffered hydraulic failure, leading to the crash.