Azerbaijan |
Russia |
Azerbaijan–Russia relations (Russian: Российско-азербайджанские отношения or Азербайджано-российские отношения, Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan–Rusiya münasibətləri) is the relationships between the two countries, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. Azerbaijan was one of the countries that made up the Soviet republics. After the collapse of the USSR, Azerbaijan became an independent country. The relations later became sour due to Russia's bilateral relations with Armenia, which maintains no relations with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has played a key role in frustrating Russia’s efforts to control energy export routes in the Caspian Basin to Europe, a new report states. Moscow, however, continues to probe for new ways to gain an advantage in the regional contest for energy dominance. Russia has an embassy in Baku, and Azerbaijan has an embassy in Moscow and consulate-general in Saint Petersburg. Azerbaijan also announced that it will open another consulate-general in Yekaterinburg. Despite the stated differences and conflicting interests, bilateral relations between the two countries are friendly and close. There are more than half million of Azeris in Russia as well as notable diaspora of Russians in Azerbaijan.
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At the beginning of 2009 Azerbaijani media published allegations that Russia had made extensive weapons transfers to Armenia throughout 2008 costing about $ 800 mln. On January 12, 2009 the Russian ambassador was invited to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked about this information. On January 21, 2009 Russian ministry of foreign relations officially denied the transfers.[1] According to the materials published by Wikileaks in December 2010 Azerbaijani defence minister Safar Abiyev claimed that in January 2009 during his visit to Moscow his Russian counterpart Sergei Serdyukov unofficially had admitted weapon transfers although officially it was denied.[2]
On 27 February 27 2003, in Baku, Russia and Azerbaijan signed an intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation, and on 4 December 2006 the parties signed an intergovernmental agreement on mutual protection of rights of intellectual property.
The leaders of defense departments of both countries make guest visits on a regular basis. On 23-25 January 2006 Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov visited Baku. In November 2007, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov also visited Azerbaijan. On 29 July 29 2008, in Moscow, the Second Meeting of Russia-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation took place.
On 25 January 2002, an agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the status, principles and conditions for use of the Gabala radar station (radar station, "DTV") was signed, and on 28 November 2003 an intergovernmental protocol was signrd, dealing with the question on how to open and use the credits to pay for the costs with the use of information-analytical center for the period 1997-2001. On 2007 June 20 the Intergovernmental Protocol was signed, addressing the status of authorized representatives of Russia and Azerbaijan, appointed to execute the Agreement on the status, principles and conditions of use of the radar "DTV".
On June 8, 2007, at the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a proposal to use the Qabala radar station as a part of the U.S.-developed missile defense system. The proposal was supported by the Azerbaijani leadership, which considered it as a concrete contribution to stability and security in the region.
Border cooperation remains an important component of Azerbaijan-Russia relations, taking into account the overall situation in the Caucasus and the common objectives of the struggle against international terrorism. On 25 January 2002 an intergovernmental agreement on the activities of border service representatives was signed. The consultations are going about an agreement on opening of border service offices on the territories of both countries.
On 29-30 January 2008, Moscow hosted the XV round of talks on the delimitation of the border with Azerbaijan. The agreed boundary line, which was outlined in the working protocols, map and descriptive documents, is 301.1 miles (336.5 km), which corresponds to the 90% of the two states' borders.
Law enforcement and judicial authorities of Russia and Azerbaijan cooperate as well. Signed in April 1996, the Agreement between the Russian Interior Ministry and the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan on cooperation of internal affairs in border areas entered into force in 2001. Also there were the following agreements: Memorandum of mutual relations in the fight against terrorism (February 2000) and protocols on cooperation, a memorandum on cooperation between the Russian Interior Ministry and the Interior Ministry in the field of preservation of goods in transit (July 2008).
Trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is on the rise. In 2008 the trade turnover between the two countries countries increased annually by 39.3% and amounted to 2.403 billion dollars, exports grew by 42.6% up to 1.9911 billion dollars, imports increased by 25.4% up to 411.4 million dollars. Despite the end of Russian gas deliveries to Azerbaijan on January 1, 2007, the trade has kept a positive trend, and its structure has evolved towards an increasing share of non-primary goods.
Russian-Azerbaijani relations in culture and education are developing steadily. In December 2006, the two countries adopted a program of interstate cooperation in the humanitarian sphere for 2007-2009.
2005 was the "Year of Azerbaijan" in Russia and 2006 was the "Year of Russia" in Azerbaijan; the two countries held 110 special cultural events during these two years.
In 2008, in Baku, a branch of Moscow State University was established. In the universities of Azerbaijan over 15 thousand students are involved in Russian language education. In Azerbaijan there are over 50 Russian-language newspapers and 10 Russian news agencies.
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