I believe that in the future cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan will be as constructive, predictable and friendly as it has been: President of Azerbaijan - UPDATED

05.06.09

10:00

Azerbaijan`s President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have today met here at the Konstantinov Palace.
Russian leader DMITRY MEDVEDEV said:
- Esteemed Ilham Heydarovich, I welcome you to Petersburg. Unfortunately, the weather has let us down, but I`m very pleased to have you here.
We now have such a busy time: we have a forum which opens up additional opportunities for us to discuss bilateral relations, regional problems. We do have a lot of critical topics to discuss – consequences of the world`s financial and economic crisis, energy security - the issue of great importance to our countries - and we also have very interesting joint projects. What we must think about is to make the level of our trade, that we have managed to increase recently, to depend, somehow, on our bilateral relations and prevent its falling amid the changes in the world economy.
Bilateral humanitarian projects are also very important. You place a particular emphasis on humanitarian projects, particularly those related to the Russian language. We appreciate this very much, thank you. We, surely, also have other projects. I`m truly pleased to see you in Petersburg.
President ILHAM ALIYEV: Thank you Dmitry Anatolyevich. Thank you for the invitation. I`m very pleased to have another opportunity to meet you and continue our discussions, which have a very broad agenda.
Our meetings have become regular and this reflects the level of development of relationship between our countries. We are satisfied with the development of our countries` relations –like you have mentioned – in the political and economic fields. I believe our trade will not suffer much amid the crisis.
As for our relations in the humanitarian field, I think they can be exemplary. We have done a lot, and we have many plans for future.
We have a very broad agenda and, as usually, a lot of topics to discuss: regional issues, in particular security, and energy cooperation, which today is extremely critical. And, of course, continuing our discussions and outlining ways for further development is very important. Despite the crisis, both Russia and Azerbaijan prove that they can develop and live at the cost of their own resources, and this is also important. I believe that in the future our cooperation will be as constructive, predictable and friendly as it has been. Thank you once again for the invitation.

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09:50

Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia continued talk in a trilateral format at an informal dinner upon completion of bilateral talks, according to spokesman for the Russian President Natalia Timakova.

She said the leaders are expected to discuss situation in the Caucasus including the Karabakh issue.

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09:41

The Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia intend to meet again, U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza told Trend News by telephone from St. Petersburg. "To my knowledge, the Presidents intend to meet again, but I can not say exactly when, it depends on their schedule," he said

A meeting took place between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on June 4.

This meeting was the fifth between the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and Armenia, Serj Sarkisyan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. The previous meeting was held in Prague on June 7. The first meeting was held in June last year in St. Petersburg, the second in the end of November last year in Moscow, the third in Zurich on 28 January this year.

The meeting took place in a constructive manner, it is possible to say that progress was reached, Bryza said.

"The Presidents asked the co-chairmen to prepare our proposals and so forth, I can not say that it was a turning point, we continue to work," he said. The mood of the meeting was constructive, he said.

"Nothing was signed, we did not expect that something will be signed - it was simply an exchange of views, the Presidents exchanged ideas, views, and now it needs to continue working," he said.

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09:40

No "breakthrough" or "significant progress" were reached during the talks of the Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Serj Sarkisyan held in St. Petersburg on June 4, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said as a result of the meeting of the Presidents of the two countries, which lasted two and a half hours, Mediamax reported. "Despite that today we can not speak about the breakthrough or significant progress, the sides are moving forward and agreed to continue negotiations," said Nalbandyan. He noted that the Presidents charged the foreign ministers to, together with the mediators, continue to work to bring the positions of the sides closer and the new meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also noted that "there was no breakthrough, but there is movement". He said that the sides approach each other's positions with great understanding.  "The most important thing is that the sides have agreed upon the necessity to move forward," said Mammadyarov.

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04.06.09

17:00

The meeting between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Serz Sargsyan started in St. Petersburg today. 

The meeting brought together foreign ministers of the two countries, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group Russian, U.S. and French co-chairs, Mediamax special correspondent in St.Petersburg reported.

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16:25

According to AzerTac, on June 4 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived on a working visit to Russia.

At the Pulkovo-1 airport of Saint Petersburg, the head of the state was welcomed by senior officials of the state and the government of Russia. President Ilham Aliyev headed to his temporary residence from the airport.

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11:14

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today left for a working visit to the Russian Federation.

At the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the President was seen off by Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Chief of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev and Baku Mayor Hajibala Abutalybov.

/AzerTac, Trend News/