Azerbaijani, Russian FMs meet in Minsk

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov as part of a meeting of the Council of the CIS foreign ministers in Minsk on October 14, the Foreign Ministry has reported.

The sides discussed a number of issues on the agenda of Azerbaijani-Russian cooperation, including events to be held next year on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two ministers exchanged views on the full implementation of the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 and regional issues.

Russia played a key role in the signing of a ceasefire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia to end the last year's 44-day war. The trilateral peace deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the 30-year conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Karabakh that along with seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the 1990s. 

Azerbaijan and Russia also cooperate in different spheres of the economy. Earlier this year Azerbaijan participated in a number of international exhibitions held in Russia. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.6 billion in 2020, making Russia Azerbaijan’s third-largest partner. Additionally, Azerbaijan is a major supplier of fruits and vegetables to Russia. The country ranked first in supplies of fresh and chilled tomatoes.