Moscow State University branch to open in Azerbaijan

Russian Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko said about this to reporters on Saturday at a press conference in Baku, when speaking about results of his three-day official visit to Azerbaijan.

Fursenko said he had discussed the issue with the Azerbaijani president. He said Ilkham Aliyev entirely supported the idea. The minister discussed it in a telephone talk with university rector Viktor Sadovnichy. Talks on the issue will begin in the near future, the Minister added.

Opening of a Moscow university branch in Azerbaijan is a rather serious issue in the legal and technical aspect, but it may be settled in a short period of time, Fursenko said, noting that he wanted the university's branch to be officially opened in 2007, Russian Language Year.

The minister said he would meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart Misir Mardanov before leaving for Moscow to discuss concrete steps and a list of actions worked out in this connection.

During the visit, an agreement was also reached to open Baku Slavic University's branch in the Ural region.

Fursenko said he was pleased with the Azerbaijani president's words that "the Russian language is an organic part of the Azerbaijani society and much attention is paid to learn it in Azerbaijan".

The Russian Minister is sure cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan in the education sphere has good prospects.

/ITAR-TASS/