Azerbaijani-Russian political consultations held in Baku

From December 8 to 10, political consultations were held in Baku between senior officials of Russia and Azerbaijan.

The discussions were led by Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Samir Sharifov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Galuzin also met with Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan for Foreign Policy, Caliber.Az reports, citing a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry. 

The consultations followed up on a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe on October 9, held on the sidelines of the CIS Council of Heads of State summit.

According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions focused on the current state and future prospects of Russian-Azerbaijani relations, with particular emphasis on key issues within their bilateral agenda and plans for future cooperation. Additionally, a schedule for contacts in 2026, including inter-ministerial consultations, was agreed upon.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political dialogue and expanding cooperation in trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fields. This comes in line with the Declaration on Allied Cooperation signed by the two countries' leaders in February 2022.

The Russian delegation also raised the issue of the 11 Russian citizens detained in Baku in late June and early July, calling for their prompt release.

Regional security concerns were also discussed in depth, particularly the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both parties explored possible avenues for Russian assistance to this process, building on trilateral agreements signed at the highest level between the three countries from 2020 to 2022.

The importance of enhancing multilateral cooperation under the framework of the "Caspian Five" was also underscored, alongside a shared interest in maintaining the stability and functioning of the 3+3 Regional Cooperation Platform (Russia, Iran, Türkiye, plus Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia), aimed at resolving issues within the South Caucasus region.

The consultations also touched on broader international issues and organisations operating in Eurasia, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

"The talks took place in a friendly and trusting atmosphere traditional for Russian-Azerbaijani relations," the statement said.

By Sabina Mammadli