Putin seeks stronger ties with Azerbaijan despite recent tensions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are poised to advance following his talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe.
Answering a journalist’s question about whether bilateral ties had experienced a crisis, Putin dismissed the notion, emphasizing continued growth in trade and economic cooperation, News.Az reports, citing Russian media.
“I wouldn’t even call it a crisis in intergovernmental relations. If it were, we wouldn’t have seen continued growth in trade and economic ties, which, despite the challenges, have been significant,” he said.
Putin acknowledged that emotions had been strained following a tragic incident involving the loss of an aircraft and its passengers. “It was a very heavy, tragic event, and naturally, it caused a temporary emotional crisis.
We needed time to address it properly, conduct complex technical investigations, retrieve and analyze the black boxes, and reconcile all data provided by the Ministry of Defense and air traffic services, both ours and Kazakhstan’s. This required meticulous, responsible, professional work,” he added.
Recalling his own experience during legal studies at Leningrad University, Putin said such investigations are painstaking and leave no room for error.
“We have now completed the essential investigative work, including international oversight by ICAO, using all available materials. Any remaining details will be finalized by specialists,” he said.
Looking ahead, Putin expressed optimism: “I hope we have turned this page and can now move forward without complications, developing our contacts and realizing the substantial plans we share in logistics, industrial cooperation, and humanitarian areas.
Azerbaijani society’s widespread Russian-language proficiency shows a fundamental, enduring commitment to developing relations with Russia. Emotions are inevitable, but they should not hinder progress. I believe this chapter is behind us.”
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