Putin: Humanitarian ties create base for Russia-Azerbaijan cooperation

Development of humanitarian ties between Russia and Azerbaijan creates a solid basis for strengthening cooperation in all other areas, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Iliyev. “Azerbaijan is very attentive to the development of the Russian language, to issues of education,” Putin noted. “Schools are offering Russian classes, Russian higher education establishments have their branches in Azerbaijan.” According to the Russian president, cooperation in the humanitarian sphere is a key factor of cooperation between the two countries. “It creates a basis for work in all other areas,” he said. The Russian leader noted that the two countries were developing relations in all other areas likewise “increasingly.” “I hope very much that we will be able to exchange views on what should be done to spur up cooperation, and I am sure it would be a useful work for years to come,” he said. The Russian delegation to the extended talks includes ministers of foreign affairs, of energy, of transport, of economic development, of emergencies situations, and CEOs from such Russian business giants as LUKoil, Rosoboronexport, and Rosneft.