Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the heads of leading international news agencies as part of the traditional St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), answering their questions during a session organized by TASS, Azernews reports.

Leaders of media organizations from 13 countries participated in the event, including Vugar Aliyev, Chairman of the Board of AzerTag, Azerbaijan’s state news agency.

Responding to a question from Vugar Aliyev regarding the shrinking of the Caspian Sea, President Putin confirmed that the governments of Russia and Azerbaijan are working jointly to address the issue.

“The issue of the Caspian Sea’s declining water levels was raised by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and I immediately supported it,” Putin stated. “This is undoubtedly a major problem—one of global scale. We’re all familiar with the tragic examples of the Aral Sea and others. Timely and coordinated action is essential. Relevant directives have been given to our government. I’m aware that the Russian and Azerbaijani governments are actively working together to find solutions. The key is to act steadily and consistently, without sudden disruptions.”

Putin emphasized the importance of identifying the causes behind the drop in Caspian Sea levels and taking all necessary steps to prevent irreversible consequences.

Turning to economic cooperation, the Russian President noted that trade turnover between Russia and Azerbaijan grew by 7 percent last year—a strong indicator of deepening ties.

“We have promising joint projects in key areas like the North-South transport corridor, logistics, manufacturing, and shipbuilding. We’re ready to increase our orders with the Baku Shipyard. There are many projects there with strong potential. I’m hopeful we’ll bring them all to fruition,” Putin concluded.