Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan have been developing successfully for the past years. It fully meets national interests of both countries, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said during a speech at the Japanese International Relations Institute. Azerbaijani foreign minister has paid a visit to Japan, ITAR-TASS reported.
"In recent years we could successfully develop relations with Russia," he said. "We hold position of good neighborly relations. This is philosophy based on which we build relationships with all countries. It implies that national interests should be the focus," he said.
The foreign minister said promise and importance of Russian market for economic development of Azerbaijan is among the reasons for Baku's striving to cooperate with Russia. "Besides, Russia is our closest neighbor with which we share common border. It is a permanent member of UN Security Council and mediated in settlement of the Karabakh problem from the very beginning," he said. "All these points suggest that we continue cooperation."
"The trade turnover between our countries nearly tripled over the past four years, but this is not enough. We can enlarge it and improve our indicators in all spheres of cooperation," Mammadyarov said.
"We develop relationships as equal partners and it coincides with our interests," Azerbaijani foreign minister said.