Azerbaijan is a Russian-speaking country this is a foundation for our relations -Putin

Speaking at the CIS Heads of State Council meeting in Dushanbe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Azerbaijan can be considered a Russian-speaking country, where the Russian language is widely studied. According to him, this proves that relations between Moscow and Baku have a fundamental and lasting character.

Putin emphasized that he and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev agreed to ensure an objective investigation into the AZAL plane crash with the involvement of the Interstate Aviation Committee and international organizations:

“In the end, we did it, we agreed with Ilham Heydarovich that the investigation would be conducted objectively, including with the participation of IAC and international organizations using all the materials provided. The investigation is now nearing completion. In general, everything is clear, only some details remain for experts to formalize.”

The Russian leader added that the tragic page is now in the past and both sides should focus on future cooperation:

“I hope we have turned this page. We will move forward without complications and implement our major plans in logistics, industrial cooperation, and humanitarian areas. I am confident emotions will not stand in the way.”