PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES RUSSIAN FM

Baku, March 12 (AzerTAc). Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev here today received Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and his accompanying delegation.

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that mutual understanding and active cooperation
existing between the two countries` leaderships, governmental bodies, including the
ministries of foreign affairs contribute to fostering the dynamic development of
bilateral relations.
According to the Azerbaijani leader, all this encourages strengthening of bilateral
relations, increase in mutual trade and exerting joint efforts to ensure large-scale
regional cooperation in various areas.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that results of this visit by the Russian
Foreign Minister will foster further development of bilateral cooperation on the
base of the principles of friendship and strategic partnership as defined by the two
countries` leaders in the course of the last year`s visit by the Russian President
to Azerbaijan.
Sergey Lavrov said during the visit he had had very fruitful discussions on the
trends highlighted by the two countries` presidents. He said: “We are working in an
atmosphere of mutual understanding between the leaderships of Russia and Azerbaijan
created at the time of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev
and maintained during Ilham Aliyev`s presidency.” Russia`s top diplomat expressed
confidence in further strengthening and deepening of bilateral relations.
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