Chairperson of Russian Federation Council arrives in Baku PHOTO / UPDATED

Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko arrived on an official visit in Azerbaijan on March 16.

The guest was welcomed by Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan's Parliament Ali Ahmadov, head of the working group on Azerbaijani-Russian inter-parliamentary relations Polad Bulbuloghlu and other officials at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, where the national flags of the two countries were flying, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

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The Russian parliament's upper chamber has announced that a high-level delegation from the Federation Council, led by Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko, embarked on an official visit to Azerbaijan. 

The visit is set to include a series of meetings with senior Azerbaijani officials to strengthen ties between the two nations, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Russian parliament's upper chamber. 

Additionally, a key event during the trip will be the session of the inter-parliamentary commission, which fosters cooperation between the Federal Assembly of Russia and the Azerbaijani parliament. This important session will be co-chaired by First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Andrei Yatskin and First Deputy Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Ali Ahmadov.

The Russian delegation comprises several prominent figures, including Chair of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee Grigory Karasin; Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Vladimir Bulavin; First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Science, Education and Culture Iliyas Umakhanov; First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Social Policy Zhanna Chefranova; First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Economic Policy Ivan Abramov; members of the State Duma; and Governor of Astrakhan Region Igor Babushkin.

Russia is one of Azerbaijan's key trading partners, with cooperation in sectors such as energy, defense, and transportation. Azerbaijan is a significant energy producer, and Russia has been a crucial partner in facilitating trade and transit routes for Azerbaijani oil and natural gas. Furthermore, both countries are part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and maintain strong trade and military ties. In addition to economic cooperation, the two countries have engaged in dialogue on regional security issues. 

By Naila Huseynova