Sources: Trend.az, Azertac News
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on May 25. The two sides discussed strategic bilateral cooperation, economic ties and the regional situation in the South Caucasus.
The foreign affairs ministers signed a plan of consultations for 2015-2016,
Trend.az
reported. Bilateral trade turnover reached circa $649 million in January-April 2015, up 11.04% over the same period in 2014, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Union. Export of Azerbaijani goods to Russia totaled $103 million over the same period.
Lavrov described Azerbaijan as a strategic partner of Russia in the Southern Caucasus and the Caspian region, according to
Azertac News
. He added that the trade between Russia and Azerbaijan reached “the historic maximum level.”
Russia’s top diplomat also vowed that his country was committed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and viewed it as a “priority issue” for Russia. Mammadyarov concurred with his Russian counterpart, adding that “it is high time for settling the problem,” referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Lavrov also noted that Russia would be represented by “a delegation of officials and athletes” at the European Games set for June 12-28 and wished Azerbaijan success in organizing the inaugural games, per
Azertac News
.
