Baku, Moscow mull security issues
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijani and Russian high-ranking officials have discussed the expansion of security cooperation.
Eldar Mahmudov, Azerbaijan’s national security minister received a visiting Russian delegation headed by Nikolai Patrushev, Russia’s Security Council secretary, the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry reported on May 12.
The minister talked about the current operational situation and the factors affecting it, as well as the work carried out in fighting various transnational organized crimes, terrorism and other topical issues.
Moreover, Mahmudov highlighted the threat of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the regional stability.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.
Patrushev, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for the hospitality and conditions created for discussing topical issues in ensuring security interests of the two countries.
He said the cooperation between the relevant bodies of the two countries in ensuring regional and international security develops dynamically.
The sides also discussed the issues of mutual interest.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also received the Russian delegation led by Patrushev on May 11.
Azerbaijan and Russia established diplomatic relations on April 4, 1992.
Russia is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan in the CIS. It also ranks first among the countries importing from Azerbaijan.
Currently, there are 570 companies with Russian capital in Azerbaijan. Russia has recently invested $628.4 million in Azerbaijan's fixed capital. But Azerbaijan's investment in the Russian economy for 10 years amounted to nearly $1 billion.
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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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