Photos added (first published at 15 :15)
The Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Dmitry Medvedev of Russia discuss the problems with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, strengthening bilateral relations, as well as international issues, focusing on global economic problems, RIA Novosti reported.
"Of course, one of the most important topics is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement," President Medvedev said to a meeting with President Aliyev. "I would like to conduct sincere talks on what to do further and how the events will develop in light of the last trilateral Kazan meeting and all the previous meetings."
The Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents regularly meet during the trilateral talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement with the Armenian President.
The last meeting was held in Kazan on June 24.
President Medvedev proposed President Aliyev to discuss the current state of bilateral relations, regional agenda and international issues.
The Russian President stressed that much has been recently done to develop the bilateral relations.
"I mean signing the agreements that define the cooperation for the next years," President Medvedev said.
He also added that the growth of trade turnover between the two countries testifies the positive development of relations.
Medvedev said that the good weather in Sochi facilitates the talks.
The Azerbaijani President thanked his Russian counterpart for the invitation to visit Russia. He stressed that there is positive dynamics in all spheres of bilateral cooperation, including economic and humanitarian cooperation, energy security. President Aliyev thanked his Russian counterpart for Russia's efforts on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
"The conducted talks brought closer the positions of the parties," he said. "The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main problem of regional security. Azerbaijan may be more interested in the conflict settlement than others."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
The diplomatic relations between the countries were established on April 4, 1992. Since then, the regular meetings have been held at the highest level.
The legal basis for cooperation between the two countries consists of more than 80 inter-state, inter-governmental and inter-departmental agreements and treaties. The basic document is the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Security, signed on July 3, 1997.
An important direction of cooperation between the two countries is the economic sphere.
As a major producer of hydrocarbons in the CIS, Azerbaijan is an objective partner of Russia.
Transneft Company is the operator of the Russian part of the Baku-Novorossiysk oil pipeline.
The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $1.948 billion as of 2010 or 9.4 percent more than the previous year. In general, Russia is the third trading partner of Azerbaijan. Its share is 6.9 percent in total export-import operations.
Russia and Azerbaijan signed an agreement between the two countries on the state border in September 2010. The parties also signed an agreement between the two governments on the rational use and protection of trans-boundary Samur River. It will be used on the basis of 50 to 50. The length of the Samur River is 230 km.
Photos - Azerbaijani President`s official web site
