Russian pundit: Azerbaijan defines trends of modern international politics

Azerbaijan is among the countries shaping the trends in contemporary international politics.

This statement was made by Igor Korotchenko, Director General of the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies, while commenting on the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The political analyst emphasized that Russia views Azerbaijan as a strong, effective, and responsible state.

"The two leaders will not only align their positions and review past activities, but they will also set new trends and directions for our bilateral cooperation. Russia sees Azerbaijan as a powerful, efficient, and accountable nation. We clearly observe how Azerbaijan's international standing has grown since its victory in the Second Karabakh War," Korotchenko noted.

The expert believes that, in addition to political, economic, and military-technical ties, energy projects are of paramount importance.

"I think Putin and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev will come up with very interesting joint solutions that will benefit our countries. Considering the challenging and busy schedule of the Russian president, his visit to Azerbaijan is a visit to friends and an opportunity to personally experience Baku, which today stands as a true jewel of the South Caucasus, blending an ultra-modern appearance with carefully preserved and restored historical architectural relics and monuments," Korotchenko remarked.

He also highlighted that the Russian expert community has high expectations for this state visit by President Putin, adding that Russian-Azerbaijani relations can serve as a model for any modern state in terms of effective, responsible, and careful preservation of the "living fabric" of friendship and cooperation.

"The momentum that will be given to Russian-Azerbaijani cooperation across all areas will allow both countries to reach new horizons of development and make a significant contribution to our sustainable progress moving forward," the expert concluded.