President Ilham Aliyev receives Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker, State Duma Committee Chair [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, received Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, and Leonid Kalashnikov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Azernews reports.

Konstantin Kosachev conveyed greetings from Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, to the head of state and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the greetings and asked Konstantin Kosachev to communicate his regards to Valentina Matviyenko and Vyacheslav Volodin.

Konstantin Kosachev congratulated the head of state on the excellent organization of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue and highlighted the significant international interest in the event.

Stressing the importance of President Ilham Aliyev’s insightful speech at the Forum, Konstantin Kosachev stated that the head of state’s views on the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, the activities of the Non-Aligned Movement, neo-colonialism, and other topics are highly relevant in modern conditions. Konstantin Kosachev underscored that Azerbaijan's significant international standing is a source of joy, and this, in turn, becomes one of the important factors in Azerbaijan-Russia bilateral ties. He noted that President Ilham Aliyev's recent visit to Moscow was very successful. Konstantin Kosachev said that Azerbaijan has achieved great success in economic, social, and other areas, and every time they visit Baku, they witness the significant development processes taking place in the capital.

The head of state expressed satisfaction with Russia’s high-level delegation’s representation at the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which has become one of the important platforms in international dialogue.

Touching upon his recent visit to Moscow, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the trip was very fruitful and demonstrated once again the strategic nature of the allied relationship between the two countries.

The head of state highlighted a joint meeting in Moscow with railway veterans and workers, together with President Vladimir Putin, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. President Ilham Aliyev hailed the fact that National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s exceptional role in the implementation of the Baikal-Amur Mainline during his tenure in the leadership of the USSR, despite various technical, bureaucratic, and natural obstacles, and even opposition from some groups during the Soviet era, was commended during the Moscow meeting.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined that Azerbaijan and Russia, as neighboring nations, support and respect each other, working in a spirit of close cooperation to resolve both bilateral and multilateral issues. The President noted that Russia plays an important role in ensuring security, not only in the region but also on a broader scale. President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that bilateral relations are steadily progressing, and considered this a significant factor in regional development in the South Caucasus and beyond.

The head of state noted that during Azerbaijan's four-year chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, and now during the "troika of chairmanship," the country came forward with many important initiatives focusing on important issues, particularly, neocolonialism. President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan organizes events, both within the country and abroad, on this topic and would continue to expose crimes and double standards committed by neocolonialists against other countries and peoples in the past and present.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the comprehensive development of cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries. They emphasized the importance of the exhibition held in the Russian State Duma building last year, with the participation of Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The satisfaction was expressed with the growing tourism cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, noting an increase in the number of Russian tourists visiting Azerbaijan. The increased frequency of flights between the cities of the two countries was seen as a positive factor. The President noted that the restoration of pre-COVID tourism numbers and indicators is becoming a reality.

The conversation also touched on humanitarian cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, emphasizing the support for the Russian language in Azerbaijan and its continued teaching in schools.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for the development of the North-South Transport Corridor.