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Russian MFA Spokesman: â€œWe are establishing relations with Azerbaijan, our important strategic partner, on the basis of respect, trust and mutual understandingâ€

10 March 2009 12:35 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanovaâ€“APA. â€œWe are seeing the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovâ€™s visit to Azerbaijan on March 11-12 as development of active Azerbaijani-Russian dialogueâ€, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andrei Nesterenko told RIA Novosty agency, APA reports. He said the main point of the visit would be Lavrovâ€™s meeting with President Ilham Aliyev. â€œRussia gives special importance to the talks with Azerbaijani leadership in the field of bilateral relations, regional and international issuesâ€. Nesterenko said Lavrov would discuss with his Azebaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov the different aspects of the bilateral relations, as well as regional and international situation. â€œThe ministers will discuss the opportunities for deepening of cooperation within UN, CIS and other international organizations. Russia is establishing its relations with Azerbaijan, its important strategic partner in the Caucasus, on the basis of respect, trust and mutual understanding. We intend to develop the bilateral relations in accordance with the declaration signed during the Russian President Dmitriy Medvedevâ€™s official visit to Azerbaijan on July 3-4, 2008â€.

Nesterenko said the Caspian legal status problem would be focused in Baku in the context of preparations to the third summit of Caspian littoral states. â€œWe hope to make steps toward the serious understanding with our Azerbaijani partners in the fields of determination of Caspian legal status, establishing of multilateral mechanism of the Caspian security and Caspian Economic Cooperation Organizationâ€.

Nesterenko said the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh problem would also be discussed at the meetings. â€œThe Declaration signed by the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow on November 2, 2008 opened new opportunities in this field. Russia welcomes development of intensive negotiations to achieve mutual agreement to solve this knot and as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group will provide all assistances for this. Our principal position is unchangeable. We consider that Azerbaijanis and Armenians should take main responsibility for choosing of last formula of the settlement. Russia is ready to support the alternative acceptable for both parts and it can be a guarantor of the settlement after achieving the compromiseâ€.